Posted on May 27, 2022
Opinion: Monkeypox isn’t ‘Black’ or ‘gay’ – it’s global
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"It’s been over 100 years since the Spanish Flu outbreak swept across the world. It is a disease that has become synonymous with the Covid-19 pandemic, a cautionary tale of the destruction a flu virus can have on a global population. But did you know it is not actually Spanish? That the disease itself likely did not originate in Spain?
Instead, it is named the “Spanish” flu because the Spanish media reported on this new and deadly disease, whilst other countries, beaten down by the First World War and wanting to keep morale up, simply did not.
Understandably, Spain was none too happy about being saddled with “ownership” of the killer virus, preferring to pass the buck, locally calling the H1N1 influenza strain the “French flu” and the “Soldier of Naples.” But the name stuck, all because the media at the time had hit on an “easy” shorthand for a complicated disease"
Instead, it is named the “Spanish” flu because the Spanish media reported on this new and deadly disease, whilst other countries, beaten down by the First World War and wanting to keep morale up, simply did not.
Understandably, Spain was none too happy about being saddled with “ownership” of the killer virus, preferring to pass the buck, locally calling the H1N1 influenza strain the “French flu” and the “Soldier of Naples.” But the name stuck, all because the media at the time had hit on an “easy” shorthand for a complicated disease"
Opinion: Monkeypox isn’t ‘Black’ or ‘gay’ – it’s global
Posted from independent.co.uk
Medical
Health
Racism
LGBTQ+
Posted 2 y ago
Responses: 3
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Monkeypox is only the next in a long line of disease outbreaks that our planet will weather. The media has a duty in promoting disease as global, abandoning the need for origin, viewing the people unfortunate enough to discover or catch the disease as victims, not nameless vectors to name, shame and blame for disease spread. Viruses are not racist and homophobic: people are, and it is time certain sections of the media stepped up and report disease outbreak without prejudice too.
Dr Alexis Paton is a lecturer in social epidemiology and the sociology of health and co-director of the Centre for Health and Society at Aston University. Dr Paton is also chair of the Committee on Ethical Issues in Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and a trustee of the Institute of Medical Ethics."...
..."Monkeypox is only the next in a long line of disease outbreaks that our planet will weather. The media has a duty in promoting disease as global, abandoning the need for origin, viewing the people unfortunate enough to discover or catch the disease as victims, not nameless vectors to name, shame and blame for disease spread. Viruses are not racist and homophobic: people are, and it is time certain sections of the media stepped up and report disease outbreak without prejudice too.
Dr Alexis Paton is a lecturer in social epidemiology and the sociology of health and co-director of the Centre for Health and Society at Aston University. Dr Paton is also chair of the Committee on Ethical Issues in Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and a trustee of the Institute of Medical Ethics."...
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Not sure where the "Black" came from, but it does seem to be predominate among gay men. Saying so is not "homophobic", in fact, it seems that if gay men are more likely to be infected, the gay community needs to know so they can help mitigate the virus. We are all in this together.
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my dad's mom died from the Spanish flu in 1919 when he was 9 yrs old. his dad put him and his 2 younger brothers into an orphanage run by nuns up in Northern California then left them that was the last time they saw him. very sad that a dad would do that
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