 |
| SOURCE: GOOGLE |
Fighting Corona: West can learn a lot from the Middle East
What can West Asia learn from the fight against Corona?
Corona virus cases are increasing rapidly in Western countries, and many countries have announced other stringent measures, including lockdowns and school closures.
The outbreak targeted several Asian countries several weeks ago. Some Asian countries are also being praised for controlling Corona.
For example, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan have kept the number of cases relatively low despite their close proximity to China.
After all, what did these countries do, and is there a lesson for other countries?
1: Take it seriously and take immediate action
Medical experts agree on ways to prevent such an outbreak: including widespread testing, separation of affected people and encouraging social distance. In the West, such measures are being implemented in a different way, but the important thing is that most countries did not act as quickly as they should.
"The US and the UK missed the opportunity," says Tiki Pangisto, former director of research policy at the World Health Organization. He had been watching China for two months, yet he kept thinking 'China is too far away and nothing will happen to him.'
China December 31 reported to the World Health Organization the cases of 'mysterious pneumonia like SARS'. Until then, there was no definitive case of human to human transmission. Little was known about the virus, but within three days, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong increased screening at all border points. Taiwan has already begun screening flights from Wuhan before people get off the plane.
As scientists learned more about the virus, it became clear that those who were not exposed to the infection could also be exposed, so testing became important.
2: Cost-cutting and widespread management of tests
South Korea initially reported an increase in cases of the Corona virus, but it soon developed a test for the virus, which has so far tested 200,000 people. There are about ten thousand free tests daily.
"The way they took drastic measures and screened the public was very impressive," says Professor Owei Aung Ewing, a new infection specialist at the National University of Singapore.
There was already a system in place to test the spread of infections in South Korea, which was established in 2015 after the outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), a life-threatening disease of 35 people.
 |
| SOURCE: GOOGLE |
In contrast, testing was delayed in the United States. Initial testing kits had defects and it was difficult for private laboratories to pass their tests. Many people struggled to get the test done, but they were too expensive. Eventually the law of free testing was passed for everyone.
Meanwhile, the UK has said that only those hospitalized will be tested regularly, making it difficult to identify cases of people with low symptoms.
Professor Pangisto acknowledges that test kits are not available in large numbers in some countries. But he calls widespread testing a "top priority," saying that "people who have symptoms but are not yet admitted to hospitals and are still spreading the virus are even more important."
3: Identify and Separate
Testing not only those who have the symptoms, but also the people they are meeting, is important.
Law enforcement agencies in Singapore have identified 6,000 such persons. They were searched, tested, and ordered to be kept in isolation with the help of CCTV footage, until their results came out negative. In Hong Kong, as many as two people have met with the affected person for two days before symptoms appear.
They have adopted measures that allow people living in isolation to make sure they are in their own homes.
Visitors from overseas in Hong Kong have been asked to wear electrical rings to keep authorities informed of their movements. However, in Singapore, those who take self-isolation are contacted several times daily and have to send pictures to prove their presence in their area.
Heavy fines and prison sentences are being imposed on those who violate 'housekeeping' orders in Singapore. A violator has canceled permanent residence in Singapore.
Many Western countries may find it difficult to implement such measures due to their large populations and greater civil liberties.
Professor Owei says, 'We could do what we did because we are a small country. It would be incomprehensible to completely duplicate our measures, it would have to be adopted by every country. '
4: Immediate social distance
Social distance is considered one of the best ways to overcome the epidemic.
But the longer these steps are introduced, the harder they will have to show their work.
In the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus originated, 5 million people had left the city before the lockdown began. Because of this, the government implemented the largest quarantine in human history.
After the number of cases in Italy and Spain reached thousands, they were forced to introduce lockdowns. New York and California have ordered citizens to stay at home and the only exception is to buy bargains.
In contrast, schools are still open in Singapore, but major public gatherings have been canceled. Schools have been closed in Hong Kong and people are being asked to work from home, but restaurants and bars are still open.
Professor Owei believes that the difference is in how quickly governments are enforcing social distance.
"By the time most countries tightened control measures, the number of cases had increased so much that extraordinary measures were needed."
Social distance has to do with the government's ban on gatherings and the closure of educational institutions, but it also depends on people's willingness to participate. That's why public relations and individual attitudes are so important.
5: Be aware and keep the public with you
Professor Pangisto says, "Unless you have public support, your policies may not be implemented and implementation will be limited. The important thing is to show that the policies are based on scientific evidence. '
China's criticism of the epidemic has come under heavy criticism. It allowed a big political gathering in Wuhan, despite concerns. Authorities also punished doctors who tried to warn others, and when one of them died of the virus, the outbreak came to light.
But it has been praised ever since China expanded its hospital capacity by enforcing a massive lockdown to curb the virus, but critics say the extreme measures were needed only because of the initial response. It was very slow.
In the United States, President Donald Trump has often appeared to disagree with medical authorities on the severity of the outbreak and the number of available kits. The government has not been able to provide information on how many people have been tested because many private laboratories are not sending their data to the CDC.
Professor Owei says, "Reaction to the epidemic should be transparent because that is what prevents people from chaos and stagnation."
Some governments have used technology to inform their people in detail. Hong Kong has launched an online portal for all cases, with maps also pointing to the buildings where these cases were found. In South Korea, if a person is around a patient, a mobile alert is issued.
The Singaporean government is being praised for its clear communication with the Corona virus. The Prime Minister of Singapore also made a speech urging people to refrain from shopping in chaos.
Its actions have received considerable public attention, and one of the reasons is that Singapore has long been emphasizing collective responsibility for national security.
Moreover, there is no tendency to challenge the official position in Singapore's media.
6: Personal Behavior Is Very Important
It is simply ironic to say that Asians are more likely to follow the orders of their own governments. People's confidence in government is low in Hong Kong and anti-government protests have been going on for months, but in one of the world's most populous cities, most people have voluntarily distanced themselves from each other. Many people have also avoided attending the Lunar New Year celebrations, which is not like attending Christmas celebrations.
Professor Pangisto believes that the people of Hong Kong do not trust the government, but 'they are proud of Hong Kong and consider it a threat to their territory.'
Meanwhile, Washington-based Seattle-based nurse Karen Huster spent a month in Hong Kong training on the Corona virus.
Doctors Without Borders Emergency Field Coordinator Karen Huster has been working on the Corona virus training in Hong Kong for about a month.
In addition, there is a considerable trend in this part of Asia for the use of masks which according to Hester is a symbol of 'respect for others'.
He said that most people did not ride with him in the elevator just because he was not wearing a mask. On the contrary, people in the West have been told not to wear masks unless they are ill, and many Asian people have been harassed for wearing masks.
Experts in Asia agree that wearing a mask is less effective than steps such as handwashing, but should be left to the medical staff when the availability of the mask is a problem. But whether or not wearing a mask is beneficial, there are different opinions.
Benjamin Cooling, an epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong, says that "masks are not a magic bullet against the Corona virus, but if everyone wears a mask, it could potentially be combined with all other measures (such as hand washing and social distance)." Can prevent the spread of the virus. "
"There is little evidence in favor of this, but we think it will be beneficial because we provide the same protection to the medical staff."
But Karen Hester says of social distance, "I think people in America are very individualistic. It would be a little difficult for us to sacrifice our freedom. "
She has previously worked on the Ebola epidemic and was also urging people to wash their hands and take social distance. She says the biggest challenge was "convincing people that they need to change their ways."
Will all this virus stop?
Experts are convinced that aggressive measures being taken in Western countries will eventually slow the rate of infection. But what challenges they will face after that, they should also look to Asia.
Despite stopping the virus, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong are now facing another wave of the Corona virus, which has caused people to enter their borders.
And it's not clear how long the epidemic will continue.
Professor Owei is optimistic as the number of new infections begins to decrease in the province of Hubei within two to three weeks of lockdown. Although China's lockdown was 'unusual', they believe that even the most gentrified countries will be able to control the epidemic within a few weeks.
They say, 'This can be impressive for other countries. It's painful but it can happen. '
But on the contrary, Professor Kowling fears that if the lockdown goes away quickly, it could spread the virus locally again.
He says, 'I do not know that the social distance can be maintained for as long as it should. We cannot stay in China until the vaccine is available, which can take up to 18 months, but people in Hong Kong are now tired after two months. '
'Long lockdowns are devastating to the economy while the epidemic is already hurting public health. We don't have much room for selection. '
Source: BBC
0 Comments