Serdar Yurtçiçek / Turkish student in Hangzhou China
Within 10 days, the virus will have been nearly eradicated in China outside the Hubei province.
A total of 80,904 people have been diagnosed so far with the coronavirus, which emerged in December 2019 in the city of Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei Province in China. With the early precautions of the Chinese government, Wuhan City, and later, the entire province were taken under quarantine. Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, the President of the People’s Republic of China and the General Secretary of the CPC, the party, the state and the people have declared a joint war on the virus. Two gigantic hospitals were built in a quite short time to treat the infected patients in order to prevent the spread of the disease. The construction of those two hospitals, one with a capacity of 1,000 people, and the other one 1600, were completed in a total of 15 days.
The Chinese people have a huge impact on the state’s struggle with the virus. If the Chinese people did not respond to calls for cooperation from the state, such results would have been impossible. The most important feature of the virus is the speed with which it has spread. The virus is normally not lethal, but has proven very dangerous for the elderly, those with poor immune systems and those with a chronic disease. For this reason, refraining from going out in public in large crowds and the use of masks has been very important in order to prevent the virus from spreading to at risk groups.
As of today, 58,684 people have recovered and been discharged, while 3,123 have died. As of today, the total number of the patients is 19,097. It is worth noting that 25% of current patients are in a serious condition. Out of the total 87,704 diagnosed patients, 67,743 (and 3,007 out of the 3,123 of who died) were from the Hubei province. To be more specific, 49,948 of the total patients and 2,388 of the total deaths were recorded in the city of Wuhan where the virus first broke out. These figures provide us some important clues about what results we could have seen across China if the quarantine was not to be implemented quickly and effectively. The decisions taken have isolated 85% of diagnoses and deaths in the Hubei province. However, we need also be aware that these decisions have been made at a great cost. The population of the Hubei province, where quarantine was implemented, is 59 million, however its area is less than a one-tenth of Turkey. Being able to quarantine such a large population in such a small area, constantly sustaining their food and healthcare and ensuring the flow of the non-stop volunteered doctors from the other parts of China is an important success story that will be recorded in history. This was accomplished, not only for the Chinese people, but for all humanity. Many doctors, healthcare personnel and the Members of the CPC have died of the virus in the process.
The average number of new daily cases of the disease was around 1,500-2,000, despite all the measures taken, during the early days of its rapid spread. As of late, the number of new cases per day is less than 50 throughout the entire country, and around 80% of them are in the city of Wuhan As of today, the total number of patients outside of the Hubei province in China is only 794. According to the estimates, within 10 days, the disease will be almost eradicated in China outside the Hubei province.
Today, China is the safest country in the world in terms of the threat of the Coronavirus. There are no infections on the streets. Each case and each update is shared instantly with the World Health Organization and a policy of extreme transparency has been pursued. People living in China can instantly see the data which the state is constantly updating via the mobile phone applications. In any province, city, county and even in any village in China, you can see how many people are sick, recovered, suspected of having the disease, or have died from it, in seconds. China’s strategy of transparency during its war on the Coronavirus should be seen as part of what it has to offer the multipolar world.
THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF CHINA
Let us take a look at the spread of the virus outside of China. As of yesterday, the number of cases outside China has exceeded the number inside the country. Unfortunately, in countries unable to make radical decisions like China has, the virus is spreading uncontrollably. There is an average of 2,000 new cases per day in Europe, most of them in Italy. The number of people that have been diagnosed with the virus in Europe is 11,610, the current number of the patients present is 10,534 and the number of those who lost their lives is at 406. Estimates show that the number of cases in Europe will surpass China in just three days. The situation in Asia excluding China appears to be largely under control except Iran, Korea and Japan. The number of people that have been diagnosed with the virus is 15,130, the number of the current patients is 12,407 and the number of those who lost their lives is at 259. 90% of the total cases have been reported in Korea and Iran.
As I have stressed before, China has experience in terms of the fight against outbreaks after the SARS epidemic, and has now gained extraordinary experience after dealing with the Coronavirus. China, the world’s most populous country, has defeated the virus in a quite short period of time. But the failure in the struggle with the virus outside China could bring a second and a third wave for many countries, including for China itself. For this reason, the European, American, Asian and African countries which have yet to see any cases need to learn from China’s struggle and listen to their recommendations. China has stated at every stage of the struggle that the fight against the virus is between the whole of humanity and the virus itself. Just yesterday, China stated that it would support other countries’ struggles against the virus by helping the WHO financially. If the world wants to beat this outbreak sooner, it needs to follow China’s example.
TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS
It is necessary not to panic over the disease, but at the same time, to take serious precautions. Keep in mind that the virus is a form of pneumonia… let us not forget that pneumonia caused by the coronavirus is almost non-existent in the young and healthy population without any chronic diseases. However, ignorance about it could have a serious impact on the spread of the disease, particularly among at risk groups. Scientists insist that the use of a protective mask is very effective in reducing the rate at which the disease spreads, but does not protect from the disease itself. In China, outside activities without a protective mask is prohibited, on the grounds of public health being put in danger. It is important to note that the virus sometimes does not show symptoms for up to twenty days. One could unknowingly contribute to the spread of the disease, even if they do not think they are sick. How many people a person can infect could have a domino effect on the subway or a bus. Everyone needs to take the necessary precautions in terms of personal hygiene and should commit to wearing a protective mask.