Should We Name or Shame?

Should We Name or Shame?

Let’s be controversial!

We are surrounded by fear, misinformation, and decline. Covid case numbers are creeping up again. We are told that our cities have cases. We are told that our districts have cases.

But, how informed are we with respect to where these cases are? 

Our ‘big brother’ tracking and control systems are supposed to be the failsafe to protect us; but we all know that not everyone uses them, and we also know they track a moment in time for contact proximity in the physical sense; they don’t tell everyone else where a Covid ‘suspect’ has been, and we don’t know if select locations are safe. 

Consequently, with not knowing details, we either put ourselves at enhanced risk by stepping into the generally unknown, or we retreat into our cave and don’t go anywhere.

Do we have the right to know where and who, with respect to Covid? Should we be told the locations – buildings, outlets, places, our Covid patients have been at or transitioned through – and should we know who our Covid patients are?

Approaches to this vary globally. In Malaysia, we are given vague “cluster names” with sketchy location details, at best – but very little else for us to make informed decisions as to our journeys to locations. Media seem to mask these locations as if they are a national security secret (perhaps they are, who knows here), and society goes about playing the guessing game. Rumours intensify, whatsapp groups share ‘alternative facts’ amongst true information, and the public react to this information in ways that would not correlate to that if they were fully informed. It simply becomes a guessing game! Should I, should I not? Hmmn ….

Australia on the other hand embraces and coordinates with the media to release very specific details – right down to the date, time, shop, bus, bus route – very specific details to help people identify if they were in proximity to a case, so that they can take further action.

But, does this increase public anxiety? Probably, yes, as fear is intensified. But it does allow for people to make decisions based on being fully-informed.

The downside – such specific naming of outlets, malls, etc, not only creates potential panic; but it could lead to immediate boycott of those businesses and transport mechanisms, along with a lingering stigma of association – something that could irreparably damage the business at a time when many are struggling like never before. It could be argued as a form of cyber-bullying, in the guise of public health and safety.

So, back to being controversial; should we ‘name and shame’ locations, businesses, people, in order to be transparent and protect others?

Your call on this, but I will argue – yes. 

The general public need to know when there is a health risk. We’ve travelled too far collectively to continue to put ourselves at risk by not knowing locations of potential risks. Yes, businesses may suffer; but the possibility of further cases and an outbreak from covering up locations is a far worse crisis for a business than a few days reduced footfall.