Actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛), known affectionately as “Big S,” recently passed away from pneumonia caused by the flu. The Mandarin word for the flu — which translates to “epidemic cold” in English — is misleading. Although the flu tends to spread rapidly and shares similar symptoms with the common cold, its name easily leads people to underestimate its dangers and delay seeking medical treatment.
The flu is an acute viral respiratory illness, and there are vaccines to prevent its spread and strengthen immunity. This being the case, the Mandarin word for “influenza” used in Taiwan should be renamed from the misleading “epidemic cold” to something that more accurately describes what it is, like “acute respiratory viral disease.”
This would help raise public awareness, increase overall motivation to get vaccinated and encourage people to take better protective measures.
After coming down with the common cold, most people can generally recover naturally with adequate rest.
However, with a viral illness like the flu, not only are the symptoms more severe than a typical cold, but what is even more alarming is that it can easily lead to complications — pneumonia being the most common.
In elementary schools, when a student catches a cold, it often quickly spreads to their classmates, so it can be said that the common cold is also “epidemic.” Referring to the flu with a name that means “epidemic cold” confuses the public.
It is time that the term be reconsidered.
The Mandarin term for the flu comes from the English word “influenza,” with the “flu” part of the English word being translated using the Mandarin word for “cold.”
However, language exists within context and different countries might have different understandings of the same disease based on its name. This is an important point that the medical community should reflect on when considering renaming a disease.
Taiwanese professionals in the field of psychiatry changed the name for schizophrenia from a term meaning “split mind disorder” to a new term meaning “thoughts and perception disorder.” This move was successful in destigmatizing the condition and is a model worth emulating.
It is imperative that such a mild and non-threatening name be used for the flu so that people stop downplaying its severity.
Renaming the flu would help promote public health, raise awareness and prevent the spread of acute respiratory diseases and their associated complications — all of which are top priorities.
Hsiao Chia-hung is an English-speaking tour guide.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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