Outbreaks like the coronavirus can cause a lot of worry and even paranoia, whether among people with health concerns or those who shape global economic markets.
Here in the Kansas City area, Asian-owned businesses hope the outbreak, which originated in the Hubei Provice of China, doesn't negatively affect their business.
But it might already be happening.
CONCERN AROUND THECORONAVIRUS -- NOWIMPACTING BUSINESSES INKANSAS CITY."a lot of people don't reallyknow thewhole story, where the diseaseiscoming from"THE "ASIAN CHAMBER OFCOMMERCE OF KANSASCITY" WANTS TO GET THEWORD OUT -- TO SQUASHRUMORS ANDFALSEHOODS THAT AREHURTING SOMEBUSINESSES.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER SARAH PLAKETALKED TO A SALONOWNER HOPING THEMISGUIDED FEAR WON'TWALK THROUGH HERDOOR.Outbreaks like theCoronavirus can cause a lot ofworry and even paranoia.Asian owned businesses,whether they're Chinese ornot, are hoping the outbreakdoesn't affect their business.The workers in this nail salonsee the updates about theCoronavirus outbreak on TV..and try to be up to date asmuch as they can.We're not like big city liketravel like California or SanFrancisco or Houston, not atall.
Our business still work adoing well.They've heard national reportsof Asian-owned businessesseeing a decline..
And ageneral paranoia about Asiansamid the outbreak..So far our customer is oregular customer and theyknow who we are.
We areVietnamese, and they alreabeen know already.
And so farour customers still come iand they didn't discuss that atall.they hope that it doesn'thappen to them..
Or in KansasCity.People really need tounderstand that the viruoriginated from china and isnow spreading in a couplcountries in asia, but thatdoesn't mean the Asiancommunity in America ihaving higher risk.Fang Shen, president of theAsian Chamber of Commerceof Kansas City, says thisgeneralization is alreadyhurting the community in themetro.We know some of themembers of our Asianbusinesses are sufferingbecause we know a lot ofrestaurants or barber shop forexample or even grocerystores are seeing less patronsbecause people are scareSo I think it is definitely timefor support to thosecommunity members.Sarah Plake 41 action news