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Canadians start 'caremongering' trend

A new term has emerged with the advent of the coronavirus outbreak. The word "caremongering" started trending after acts of kindness in Canada. The word comes from the less positive word "scaremongering" which is a recognised part of the English lexicon. It is not yet known whether the word "caremongering" will stay around long enough for dictionary editors to include it in future editions of their word lists. "Caremongering" arose after Canadians found new ways of helping vulnerable people during the COVID-19 virus. Social media is helping to spread the concept across Canada. Within 72 hours of the term trending, over 35 Facebook groups were set up with more than 30,000 members.

The founders of the first caremongering group spoke about the meaning of the name. Valentina Harper told the BBC: "Scaremongering is a big problem. We wanted to switch that around and get people to connect on a positive level, to connect with each other." She added: "Caremongering has spread the opposite of panic in people, brought out community and camaraderie, and allowed us to tackle the needs of those who are at risk." Ms Harper explained why caremongering was important in society. She said: "Anxiety, isolation and lack of hope affects you....This virtual community...is really showing people there is still hope for humanity. We haven't lost our hope."