China is combating one of the most vicious enemies that has ever threatened the health and lives of mankind: COVID-19. Though it is still too early to declare victory, we are approaching it.
Infection cases have dropped steadily since they peaked on Feb. 12, when 15,155 confirmed cases were reported nationwide in a single day, 14,840 of which were from Hubei Province. On Feb. 27, newly confirmed infection cases for the day dwindled to 327 nationwide including 318 in Hubei.
The fact that China has been assailed by another virus outbreak 17 years after SARS reveals that we have failed to learn lessons from SARS and that there are loopholes in China’s epidemic surveillance, prevention and control mechanisms.
It will take China a while to reflect on and analyze the mistakes made and come up with better solutions to avoid repeating them.
Yet we do see some positives arising from this calamity, which, if learned in earnest, may lead to great fortune for both our nation and the rest of the world.
Despite the tardy initial response to the virus outbreak, which led to rapid transmission, China eventually moved quickly to adopt the most stringent and effective measures the world has ever seen to curb the further spread of the virus. In a sense, China has withstood a grim test of its crisis management capabilities.
Few countries could deal with such a national crisis like China has when the explosive increase of infection cases nearly overwhelmed the entire health system, with the number of victims outpacing available hospital beds, medial workers, medicine, masks, protective gear and disinfectant, to say nothing of a secured supply of utilities, food and daily necessities for the hundreds of millions of citizens affected by the epidemic.
At the worst of times, the situation was so grave in Wuhan and other parts of China that many at home and abroad believed things were out of control. The estimated infection cases might have exceed 100,000 in Hubei alone if not contained immediately, and ten times as many nationwide!
Hubei was at a critical juncture, and so was China. The country’s time-honored highly centralized governance system was immediately activated and operating around the clock.
President Xi Jinping personally leads the battle. The whole nation issued a top-level emergency response. Top officials in Hubei and Wuhan responsible for the failure to prevent and control the spread of the virus were replaced by more resolute and competent counterparts, and hundreds of incompetent officials were held accountable for their negligence and incapability.
Two makeshift hospitals capable of accommodating 2,800 patients were erected and began operation in Wuhan within two weeks. Over 15 “field module hospitals” converted from stadiums, warehouses and other buildings were completed in three weeks to treat over 10,000 patients with minor symptoms, effectively slowing the spread of the virus.
Over 300 medical teams consisting of more than 40,000 medical workers from all parts of China flew to Hubei to join the life-saving race against time.
From Feb. 16 to 20, Wuhan began a door-to-door screening program to identify every single confirmed or suspected patient who had not sought hospital treatment yet. Every residence complex and village in Hubei was put under 24-hour closed-off management, completely blocking any possible channels for infection.
China’s institutional superiority was fully demonstrated throughout the battle. It is public consensus that without such advantages as highly centralized leadership, high efficiency in decision-making, execution and supervision, a highly organized and disciplined people with national coherence, and powerful manufacturing and logistic capabilities, it would be impossible to defeat such a horrendous foe.
Taught by the painful lessons of this outbreak and encouraged by our valuable experiences from the fight against it, China will surely become wiser, healthier and stronger.
China’s top legislature acted promptly to approve a draft decision Feb. 24 on thoroughly banning illegal wildlife trade and eliminating the consumption of wild animals. It’s believed that more measures will be taken to make our epidemic prevention and control system more responsive and operative. Awareness on personal hygiene and public sanitation will be further promoted.
Doubtlessly, Chinese will survive the disaster and thrive afterwards. China will do its part to help the rest of the world to beat the virus.
(The author is an English tutor and freelance writer.)