The fear of the novel coronavirus（新冠病毒） has turned into discrimination (歧视) against certain groups of people, (include) people from Wuhan, Chinese people or Asians in general. However, the outbreak of the disease can't be an excuse to isolate these groups. What we should do is (get) rid of (消除) discrimination and show sympathy (同情) instead.
Since the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), many people (live) in fear. This is normal, as the disease is infectious (传染性的) and dangerous. However, some people turn pale at the mention of "people from Wuhan or Hubei province", the center of the outbreak.
Ding Baixing, a doctor at Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, has seen this himself. He treated a suspected (疑似的) patient (name)Chen Hui who traveled from Wuhan to Shanghai. Chen appeared desperate (绝望的) and avoided (keep)in touch with other patients, as he worried that they would be afraid of him.
Chen is not alone. Chen Xue, an editor (work) in Beijing, went to Chongli in Hebei for a ski trip on Jan 23. Though her temperature was fine and she hasn't been to her hometown – Hubei province – since October last year, the hotel she was in told her that it (will not) receive Hubei guests from the next day.
However, the real enemy is the virus – not the patients or people from Wuhan or Hubei province. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong echoed this idea in a speech at the Chinese New Year dinner. "Even though the virus started in Wuhan, it doesn't respect nationality or race (种族). It does not check your passport (护照) before it goes into your body. Anybody can be infected," he said.
It is not the (patient) fault that they have been infected. There is no reason to blame them. If patients didn't go to the hospital for fear of discrimination, the virus (spread) to more people. "Protecting them is just as important as protecting ourselves," Ding said.
Poem that inspires
At the CCTV Spring Festival Gala (春节联欢晚会), six hosts read a poem to inspire people across the country. It called for greater respect for medical workers, as well as called on everyone to work together to fight the virus. One of the lines – "we isolate (隔离) the virus, but we don't isolate love" – has been (wide) posted online.
