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@guardian health editor @sarahboseley erred by uncritically reproducing the phrase ‘patient zero’ in reference to the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. 1/5 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/12/where-did-coronavirus-come-from-covid
She also chose – unnecessarily – to single out by name the young boy identified as the first known case of the Western African Ebola virus outbreak which began in 2013. 2/6
The phrase ‘patient zero’ was coined by mistake in the 1980s, is hopelessly imprecise (first case ever? first case noticed? first case in this area?), and has a deeply stigmatising history. 3/6 https://theconversation.com/patient-zero-why-its-such-a-toxic-term-134721
This history is populated with sick individuals and their families burdened by the spotlight and social blame that accompany this misguided media framing, sometimes for decades after the fact. 4/6 https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo16463356.html
All of these reasons rightly disqualify ‘patient zero’ from usage when investigating disease origins and transmission. 5/6
Journalists have a responsibility to avoid such misleading and damaging terminology, even when they correctly state that the first human to have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 is unlikely ever to be identified. 6/6 https://journalistsresource.org/tip-sheets/reporting/patient-zero-party-coronavirus
