I & other AAPIs are increasingly concerned that speculation over the lab leak theory will increase anti-Asian hate.

As we embark on a full scientific investigation, we must take actions to prevent the next escalation of anti-Asian racism. 🧵@postopinions washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
This is not a hypothetical concern. According to @StopAAPIHate, over 6,600 anti-AAPI incidents have been reported since the pandemic started.

Many are related to blaming AAPIs for #covid19. Speculating on culpability could provoke more acts of harm against our community. /2
I interviewed @RepJudyChu: “So many are concerned that after a year of AAPIs being blamed for coronavirus, this could further hatred & discrimination... We need to get to the truth & we need to be careful in our messaging so as to not further stoke the flames of xenophobia.” /3
Dr @AuforGA points to past instances in the US of linking Asian immigrants to “infiltration, infection and contagion.

“Seeing us as the ‘yellow peril,’ blaming Asian communities for smallpox, tuberculosis, & now coronavirus — this is a new chapter in what is an old story." /4
None of this is to say that a scientific investigation shouldn’t proceed. It should--and we must gather evidence objectively.

No one should jump to conclusions or cherry-pick data to fit a pre-determined conclusion for partisan political aims. /5
Words matter.

If people are speculating about negative actions of the Chinese government, they should say that rather than use blanket terminology to criticize “China” or “the Chinese.”

Questioning government authorities should not be equated with hatred of Chinese people. /6
And please, everyone needs to stop using the language of “China virus.”

@WHO urges against naming diseases for geographic origins. This is not about policing speech but about reducing associations that have led to people who look a certain way being beaten and killed. /7
We need the help of the media, politicians, and everyone.

Together, we can assert that while we need to understand the origins of coronavirus, it’s critical to proceed in a way that recognizes the sensitivities and prevents further worsening of anti-Asian racism & hate. /END

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More from @DrLeanaWen

16 May
The CDC's new guidance has devolved into a giant mess. It was a major blunder to cede responsibility: Effectively ending mask mandates is not just about science--it's a major policy decision that should have been made by President Biden himself.🧵

washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-c…
To be clear, it was appropriate for the CDC, as a scientific agency, to review the data & come out with a statement that vaccinated people are at little risk for contracting #covid19 & spreading it to others.

But they went way beyond this to basically end all indoor masking. /2
Arguably, this was the single biggest decision that the Biden team has made on #covid19, yet the president himself didn't find out about it until the morning of the announcement.

This was an astounding strategic and tactical mistake. /3
washingtonpost.com/politics/biden…
Read 7 tweets
14 May
For months, I've been criticizing the CDC for being too cautious with what vaccinated people can do.

Now, the CDC has done an about-face that's shockingly abrupt: it's confusing & could actually disincentivize vaccines.

We need an intermediate step: 🧵washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
Don't get me wrong--the vaccinated are very well protected. They are safe to take off masks if they wish.

The problem is: do we trust the honor system for people to now go maskless? What about the danger to people who can't be vaccinated (i.e. kids) or the immunocompromised? /2
The CDC recommendation removes a powerful incentive. Many who were on the fence might have been motivated to get the shot because they could go back to activities they were missing, without a mask.

Now, if no one is checking, and they can do everything anyway, why bother? /3
Read 6 tweets
30 Apr
The US is in an "in-between" place. Vaccination substantially reduces #covid19 risk but doesn't eliminate it. There isn't one right answer & people will make different choices from one another.

Here are 3 ways to think about which activities to resume🧵: washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
For vaccinated people, consider three factors when deciding which activities to bring back to your lives:
1) Medical risk of your household
2) Personal risk tolerance (more on this soon)
3) Risk of specific activities
Risk tolerance is a key point. People will have wildly different interpretations of the same statistics. Some want to keep hunkering down. Others will decide that once vaccinated, they can take off their masks and return to pre-pandemic normal. Most are somewhere in between.
Read 4 tweets
29 Apr
Imagine, if at last night's #JointSession, President Biden allowed only vaccinated individuals. They could take off their masks, hug & sit together--just like 2019.

That would be the strongest message that vaccines = return to pre-pandemic normal. /1 washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
Is this scientifically sound?

According to the CDC's own data, there were only 7,157 breakthrough infections among 87 million fully vaccinated people — a rate of 0.008%.

A room of 1,600 is unlikely to have anyone infected. Testing would reduce the likelihood to zero. /2
You wouldn’t know that the vaccines are so effective based on CDC guidelines.

A very damaging narrative is taking hold: If the vaccines are so effective, then why so many precautions for the fully vaccinated? What’s the point of getting inoculated if not much changes? /3
Read 6 tweets
24 Apr
I'm a physician & woman who's in the under 50 age group. I'd chosen to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. If I knew then what I know now about the risk of a rare but serious blood clotting disorder, I would have chosen another vaccine. 🧵@postopinions
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
The blood clotting disorder associated with J&J, thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), is not a run-of-the-mill blood clot. Of the 15 women who had TTS, 3 died. 7 remain hospitalized, 4 in intensive care. Most were previously healthy women, median age of 37. /2
15 cases out of 8 million doses seems like a very low risk. The risk for women in the 18-49 group is higher--1 in 80,000.

This is still low, and benefits of preventing severe illness from #covid19 still far outweigh risks if the J&J is the only vaccine available. /3
Read 6 tweets
13 Apr
As a doctor and volunteer in the J&J clinical trial who received the vaccine <2 weeks ago, here's my take on the recommendation for the FDA & CDC pause for the Johnson & Johnson #covid19 #vaccine: 🧵

nytimes.com/2021/04/13/us/…
(1) This is exactly the right move. All possibly concerning safety signals should be immediately & transparently investigated.

This shows that regulatory entities are doing their job. Even something very rare (6 cases out of 7 million) will be immediately looked into.
(2) The events flagged (blood clots with low platelets) are extremely rare. Causation hasn't been established. The reason this really needs to be alerted now is for doctors who may see patients with this rare condition, to know what to look for and how to treat them.
Read 5 tweets

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