Communities Attacked Health Workers in 2 Epidemics as Ebola and Covid Fueled Denial and Blame
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 20
Communities Attacked Health Workers in 2 Epidemics as Ebola and Covid Fueled Denial and Blame
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 20
Summary
Mongbwalu residents burned an Ebola treatment unit, while other communities in Congo assaulted burial teams and drove out contact tracers during repeated outbreaks.
Covid showed the same pattern in richer countries: doctors and nurses received death threats, vaccinators in Italy were assaulted, and 2 workers were killed after enforcing mask rules.
Scholars say such attacks are not simply ignorance but a recurring epidemic cycle of denial, blame and action, shaped by history, politics, culture and family loyalties.
Historical outbreaks show the impulse is centuries old — from Black Death massacres over poisoned-well rumors to AIDS-era claims of divine punishment — underscoring how distrust can derail public health responses.