- While the virus goes global, China pays attention to Pakistan
According to the latest update on COVID-19 by the Chinese National Health Commission, 1,535 patients were cured and discharged from a hospital in China’s mainland, bringing the tally to 58,600. Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak in central China’s Hubei Province, suspended another public-facility-turned-temporary-hospital as the number of COVID-19 patients continued to drop in the city. The last batch of 34 patients walked out of the temporary hospital of Jianghan at 3 pm, waving farewell to the medics. The closure of the temporary hospital of Jianghan, which was converted from the existing international exhibition centre of Wuhan, has brought the number of closed temporary hospitals in the city to 14.
To treat patients with mild symptoms and isolate the source of infection, Wuhan converted public venues such as exhibition centres and gymnasiums into 16 temporary hospitals. Some 12,000 patients were treated in these temporary hospitals, according to the city’s COVID-19 control headquarters.
Over the past 34 days, the temporary hospital of Jianghan received a total of 1,848 patients, saw 521 patients being transferred to other hospitals and 1,327 patients discharged. It had the most available beds, admitted the most patients and saw the most discharged patients among all the temporary hospitals in Wuhan, according to sources with the Wuhan Union Hospital. The other two temporary hospitals remaining in operation are expected to close later this week, the headquarters said.
The temporary hospitals have almost achieved their initial goals to “accept all patients who need to be admitted to hospitals and treat all those who need to be treated” while severing sources of infection. It is an innovative and effective move that will provide guidance for future such situations. The outbreak of Novel Coronavirus has been controlled but not eliminated totally. Wuhan reported 36 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 18 deaths on March 8.
China’s policy of “live and let live” is most welcome. If any country can overcome COVID-19, and negate the horrifying predictions that are being made, it is China
Despite being overwhelmed by its own crisis, China is lending a helping hand to WHO countries to control the pandemic. 115 countries of the world have been affected by the outbreak wherein over 40000 deaths have occurred. Pakistan has received thousands of COVID-19 testing kits. Since the epidemic broke out, China has been providing timely updates to the WHO and countries and regions. China has shared with them the genetic sequence of the virus, responded to their concerns and strengthened international cooperation. The world has already reached the clear, fair consensus that China’s contribution bought precious time for the international community to enhance preparedness.
To support the Republic of Korea (RoK) government and people’s fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chinese government has decided to send a batch of medical supplies including 100,000 N95 respirators, one million surgical masks and 10,000 protective gowns. It is also offering to provide testing reagents enough to test 50,000 people. Apart from the central government, local governments and businesses in China have also expressed sympathy and support to the RoK and offered assistance to the best of their capabilities. As of March 8, local governments in Shanghai, Shandong, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Jilin have donated supplies through their sister cities in the RoK. Localities like Anhui, Jiangsu and Henan are also planning to make donations. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the RoK government and people from all walks of life have offered China strong support and assistance, for which it is deeply grateful.
If that were not enough, on March 7, Ambassador Chen Xu, Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland conveyed to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that the Chinese government has decided to contribute $20 million to WHO’s international cooperation against COVID-19.
The epidemic has broken out in multiple localities around the world and is still spreading, giving greater urgency to a coordinated response at the global level. By donating this money, China is responding to WHO’s call with a concrete action. This will help give full play to its professional and coordinating role in the global response against the epidemic, especially in helping small and medium-sized countries with vulnerable public health systems to shore up lines of defence. The donation is meant for designated purposes like COVID-19 prevention and control and improvement of public health systems in developing countries. China is sharing experience and information through video conferencing with government officials and medical specialists from 10 Pacific island countries, namely, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Micronesia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.
The virus respects no borders. It is heartening that in the spirit of solidarity and mutual assistance, China continues to actively support and participate in the international cooperation to fight against the epidemic, contribute its strength to regional and global public health security, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Researchers have been busy predicting the extent of damage through COVID-19. The Australian National University (ANU) has examined seven scenarios of how the COVID-19 outbreak might affect the world’s wealth, ranging from low severity to high severity. Four of the seven scenarios in the paper examine the impact of COVID-19 spreading outside China, ranging from low to high severity. A seventh scenario examines a global impact in which a mild pandemic occurs each year indefinitely.
But even in the low-severity model— or best-case scenario of the seven, which the paper acknowledged were not definitive— ANU researchers estimate a global GDP loss of $2.4 trillion, with an estimated death toll of 15 million. They modeled their estimates on the Hong Kong flu pandemic, an outbreak in 1968-1969 that is estimated to have killed about one million people.
In the high-severity model— modeled after the Spanish flu pandemic, which killed an estimated 17 million to 50 million globally from 1918 to 1920— the global GDP loss could be as high as $9 trillion. In that model, the death toll is estimated to surpass 68 million. The research aims to help policymakers respond to the economic impact of COVID-19 as the disease continues to spread.
While China has been engrossed in combating the outbreak of COVID-19, it is not oblivious to the trials and tribulations Pakistan is facing, such as the challenge from a severe plague of locusts. To help it deal with the problem, a Chinese working group led by China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs visited many stricken areas in Pakistan from February 23 to March 5. They had an in-depth exchange with local authorities and proposed targeted and comprehensive solutions which were highly appreciated and recognized by the Pakistani side. In the meantime, considering the urgency to tackle the plague, China decided to immediately provide prevention and control supplies to Pakistan, including 50,000 litres of malathion and 14 pesticide sprayers, which have already arrived in Pakistan.
As all-weather strategic cooperative partners and iron-clad friends, China and Pakistan share the fine tradition of mutual assistance. China believes that the Pakistani government and people will surely overcome the plague. Based on Pakistan’s needs, China has assured that it will continue providing as much support and assistance as possible, strengthen cooperation in personnel training, experience sharing and technical support, and help it establish and improve a comprehensive system for pest prevention and control to enhance its capabilities to deal with biological disasters. COVID-19 was first detected in China but numerous confirmed cases were found in many other countries. Virologists opine that that the strain of the virus found in other countries is not the same as that found in China. This opinion casts doubts on COVID-19 being transported from China.
China’s policy of “live and let live” is most welcome. If any country can overcome COVID-19, and negate horrifying predictions like that made by ANU, it is China.
