Dr. Leana Wen says every time she gives advice about Covid-19 on CNN, she gets hate-filled and racist messages.
“I get messages telling me I’m a ‘bat eater,’ telling me to go back to my own country, saying that I should admit it is ‘my people’ that is causing this virus,” Wen told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Monday.
Wen, a practicing emergency room physician, said she has heard from fellow Asian medical professionals that they too have faced prejudice during the pandemic. Some doctors and nurses have told her that patients have spit on them or refused treatment.
“Now all of us, as health professionals, we do our jobs. We move on. We do our best. We internalize this. We don’t let this bother us, as much as we can, but I think, the fact is, this doesn’t have to be this way,” Wen said.
In recent months, US President Donald Trump has come under criticism for his remarks, calling Covid-19 “the Chinese plague” and “kung flu.” Wen said that other leaders have stepped up and spoken out against racism and xenophobia.
“Really, the President of the United States should be doing the same,” Wen said.
The President’s words matter, she said.
“There are millions and millions of Americans for whom the President is the most credible messenger, and they will use his words — and unfortunately — it will impede our efforts when it comes to public health. I mean, I worry about those patients who are not following their doctor’s or nurse’s advice because they are Asian American. I worry about the use of these words that go against all our public health standards.”
