Is It Ethical to Ask Someone Who Just Came Back from China Recently to Not Come to Work/School?

Taro Milk Tea on 28/01/2020 - 11:18
Last edited 29/01/2020 - 16:01

Corona virus is definitely a big issue at the moment. It also creates some ethical issues among many of us.

My mate told me today in his workplace, his colleague who just came back from China were "confronted" by her peers asking her to leave the office immediately because they are afraid she might have the virus.
Long story short, she left from the office, obviously not in a good term.

This makes me thinking, is it ethical to do so? At the same time, the fear is understandable. But if I were that person, I would be kind of offended even though I know I might be just fine…

What do you think guys? Is it normal and ethical to do so?

Poll Options

  • 804
    Yes
  • 190
    No
Health & Beauty

Comments

    • xoom on 01/02/2020 - 21:25
      -2

      Those thinking this is just racism at its finest.

      The first ever confirmed case in the Philippines was a woman from mainland China who flew via Hong Kong.

      Guess what fun the authorities over there are having trying to locate where this woman went to and the people she came in contact with. From the plane to the hotels she stayed at. And thats just one person.

      The respective planes this woman was on is also grounded being cleaned and disinfected.

      The point I'm making is there is no telling someone who went to say Beijing or Shanghai did not come in contact with someone from Wuhan or the surrounding provinces of Wuhan.

      It certainly won't be the end of the world if you were told to get checked by a licensed physician before going back to work had you just come back from mainland China.

      However it could be a death sentence to someone who is immuno compromised individuals if these corona virus carriers and them cross paths.

      • blehgg on 02/02/2020 - 09:36
        +1

        | those thinking this is just racism at its finest.

        • no-one

        Stopping flights from the viral epicentre isn't racism… because anyone of any race can be flying in through China… Viruses don't choose Chinese people…

        https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-01/coronavirus-has-spark…

        Racism still happens though. It's not people being sensitive. It's comments like all Chinese people need to be quarantined - or our kids at school being bullied/out-casted.

        I support everyone coming through China being isolated for the 2 week quarantine period. Regardless of race. Regardless of age. Unless ur a man - cause man flu needs at least a month

  • Freakycat on 01/02/2020 - 21:19

    Yes, your collegues are doing the right thing. Why these people have the courage to return to work only to be sent back. Being a Chinese who live here long enough, knows that we should consider people around you and not to inconvenience them. If you love your workplace and you colleagues, then consider the risk of spreading the virus to them and their families. It would be devastating!

    As a parent, I didn’t send my kids to school even though we didn’t travel in summer holiday. We did not see any relatives and had any close contact. My kids stay home because reducing contact is the best way to stop an epidemic. Scomo should understand this. Hong Kong students will return to school on 2nd March. With people flying from all over Asia, some may be inflected on the plane. How can parents feel comfortable to send their kids. Chinese kids will inevitably get the attention from other local parents. Anxiety is growing. It’s no good for some parents doing the right thing while some ignoring the warning from Department of Education. Extending the holiday is the best for public health and to ease the anxiety of Aussie parents.

    The government should think through this. Some overseas companies advice workers to work from home if possible. For those who didn’t have this option should be provided masks.

  • rgr on 01/02/2020 - 22:16

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B7-AH6MpjPB/?utm_source=ig_embed

    when you do shit like this

  • snook on 01/02/2020 - 22:48

    I work for the Government and we have been told not to be at work for 14 days if we have been in China.

    As far as health matters are concerned, the workplace can decide whatever it wants at the benefit of the rest of the staff.

    • petry on 03/02/2020 - 19:39

      government and work in the same sentence? how many weeks work do government staff do a year - competently?

      • snook on 03/02/2020 - 22:53
        +1

        It's not like the old days. People leave and don't get replaced. We are overloaded with work.

        • petry on 04/02/2020 - 11:31

          yeah like scummo

  • Cartman2530 on 02/02/2020 - 09:37

    What about if you have been tested and cleared of the virus, and work still tells you to stay home for 2 weeks? Do you have to use your sick/annual leave or does the company pay for your time off?

    A work colleague is in this situation, he was in china and returned a week ago. He went and self admitted for testing, got tested and was cleared, still work demanded he stay home for 2 weeks to be sure.

    Personally I'm all for being cautious as its an unknown virus at this stage, but the question still is should he have to use his sick/annual leave when he is medically cleared or should the company pay for those two weeks?

    • blehgg on 02/02/2020 - 09:48
      +1

      I think that's fine. It's your company's policy. Mainstream media has been engraining 2 weeks into everyone - not "if ur tested, you are good to go". This leads to fear - maybe get the boss to call the docs for some education?

      Although, as he has been signed off by a doctor - I would say company paid leave (work from home)

  • Chubbsmcfatflabs on 02/02/2020 - 11:08

    Yes. A school I know of shut down completely for a few days last year after an outbreak of Gastro. Why should it be any different for this virus ?

  • stonieee888 on 02/02/2020 - 11:36
    +4

    Got back from 3 weeks in Mainland China on Jan 31. Have been told to self-quarantine by work for 14 days. I fully support this policy and think it is prudent. It was also alarming at the seeming lack of screening process on arrival in Australia. The Chinese side was far more seemingly competent at proactively screening.

    • CalmLemons on 02/02/2020 - 19:52
      +2

      We have an extreme lack of experience with these things. I think at first sign of any pandemic border staff should be wearing face masks. In fact, border staff should be wearing face masks all the time, I don't know why they don't in Australia.

      • anglais on 03/02/2020 - 07:46

        Masks are unproven and spread fear.

        • SnoozeAndLose on 03/02/2020 - 08:14

          Keep up with what you think.
          Hope you still believe it until you catch it.

        • blehgg on 03/02/2020 - 11:58

          Have a family member who works @ domestic Tiger.

          Currently it's policy for a face masks + a bottle of hand sanitizer stuck on the belt…

          Projected droplets from conversations with passengers, I'm guessing? Better than nothing :S

        • Bargain80 on 03/02/2020 - 16:08

          If you wear mask here, people will look at you as if you're carrying a dangerous disease.
          i think that's a cultural issue that has to change.

          • netjock on 10/02/2020 - 22:22

            @Bargain80: That is because people got it the wrong way around.

            You wear a mask if you are sick so you don't spray everyone else and indicator to others.

            Where as healthy people wear them to try to not catch anything. It is wasting a limited resource. When the disease is here you're out.

  • [Deactivated] on 02/02/2020 - 15:28
    +4

    My employer is offering 12 paid days off (Doesn't dig into annual/personal leave) if someone has just returned from China as it isn't worth the risk

  • sintro on 02/02/2020 - 18:50

    It's common sense. Just work from home if possible.

  • fusion17 on 03/02/2020 - 09:35
    +2

    And China has been pressuring countries not to ban its travelers, with a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman calling an entry ban enacted by the United States “not in keeping with the facts” and not “in keeping with friendship.”

    Lol. they delayed informing their own citizens, the world, then actively prevented their own doctors speaking up just to save face due to politics, now expect the world to just let the infected in.
    I suppose state media will find a way to spin this into a rallying cry against other countries.

    • xoom on 03/02/2020 - 10:50
      +1

      now expect the world to just let the infected in.

      Come on. What are friends for. Sharing is caring. Right?

      /s

      • monkeyfood on 03/02/2020 - 13:57
        +1

        yeah offloading "tourists" onto "friend's" hospitals everybody wins eh

  • biozet on 03/02/2020 - 14:17

    Is it true the coronavirus is similar to zombiejism ? a few diseasology organisations have said infected people turn zombieish and will attack people who aren't infected…spreading the disease even more.

    • ozbs25 on 03/02/2020 - 14:23

      I think I saw a movie about that once. They weren't exactly attacking people.

    • Andard on 03/02/2020 - 15:53

      zombiejism

      excuse me what

  • biozet on 03/02/2020 - 14:22

    yes that's true biozet. but the infected people can be taken out with a bullet…not numerous bullets or needing to be chopped up…. so the military shouldn't face too many problems when its time to cull the population.

    • redwood on 03/02/2020 - 14:31
      +4

      lol did you just reply to yourself?

    • tempura on 03/02/2020 - 14:54
      -1

      do you need silver bullet for them?

      • monkeyfood on 03/02/2020 - 15:20

        lots of fake silver bullets in China

  • biozet on 03/02/2020 - 16:50

    I heard once the virus reaches 5%of the population they will start culling….is this true? oh and unlike normal zombies, the people with the virus can run fast…and they defecate everywhere and people catch the disease from all the fecal splatter on the ground

  • biozet on 03/02/2020 - 16:52

    yes that's true biozet. we need to be very careful of the zombie jisms and zombie dumps

  • shaybisc on 03/02/2020 - 17:37

    I can't see how the big unis have any option other than to follow the Monash lead and delay the start of first semester.

    • Chthonic on 03/02/2020 - 18:00
      -1

      ANU have a better option (imo) is having course heads / lecturers figure out a way to allow the students stuck in China to be able to start the course at the same time but provide additional resources so they can start the course and do it in China until they can travel to Aus.

      Don’t see why it’s fair on all other students to mess around with scheduled semester / course start times.

  • petry on 03/02/2020 - 19:48

    its a good job bush fires don't kill people, or global warming or we'd all be in trouble..

    maybe all Australians should be forced to wear hats when travelling abroad with I SUPPORT COAL in bold letters…

  • excalibur24 on 03/02/2020 - 22:02

    There’s been 1 death outside of China. Calm the hell down.

  • Archi on 04/02/2020 - 16:02
    +1

    There were 58,847 confirmed influenza cases and 125 deaths in Australia in 2018. The 2017 influenza season, when a quarter of a million laboratory-confirmed cases were recorded and 1163 people died, was the worst since the 2009 swine flu pandemic.

    NCoV still not that dangerous give it 12 months and see how the numbers stack to a normal year of flu

    • netjock on 10/02/2020 - 22:20

      1188 road fatalities last year. Don't see people running screaming from their cars.

  • kyle on 09/02/2020 - 02:31

    My work doesn't want anyone who's been in Asia to come to work!

    • xoom on 09/02/2020 - 05:21

      Mine too. High fi…. wait. Can you pass the hand sanitizer instead?

      • kyle on 09/02/2020 - 09:28

        You need to find stock of hand sanitisers first! So now I'm working from home after coming back from holidays.

        • netjock on 10/02/2020 - 22:15

          Hand sanitizer is just soap by a fancy name. Oh I let the cat out of the bag. Expect people to be looting hand soap from hotel rooms by midnight.

  • netjock on 10/02/2020 - 22:14
    +1

    Been 13 days since the post. Did the colleague have Coronavirus? Or was there a few fatalities as result of people having panic induced strokes and heart attacks?

    • HelpMeiCantSee on 12/02/2020 - 10:46

      As a community, we simply do not panic enough. I fear mass hysteria is a lost art.

      • netjock on 12/02/2020 - 17:08

        To do it well is a lost art. Too many amateurs these days.

  • Findo on 10/02/2020 - 22:38
    +1

    Pretty rude to jeopardise the health of others

  • HelpMeiCantSee on 12/02/2020 - 10:42
    +1

    Yes, if approached from an emotional perspective.
    Yes, if approached from a logical perfspective.
    No, if approached from a SJW/perpetually offended perspective.
    Yes, if approached from a risk/vs benefit perspective.
    Yes, if approached from a social safety perspective.

    So, YES, but also no.

  • Scythic on 13/02/2020 - 00:28

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-12/foreign-student-evict…

    Folks in WA losing it

  • fusion17 on 16/02/2020 - 02:07

    Thoughts on shaking hands with strangers in these times?

    When we meet with vendors and clients at work it's always off-putting now. Not so much that they're sick, but they've come here by public transport or uber etc. Tiny meeting room with cold aircon nicely circulating around us doesn't help either.

  • Zachary on 16/02/2020 - 12:19

    There was a yahoo article that said China's fatality jumped from 200+ to 1500+….dunno if that has any bearings…

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