COVID-19, the name says it all. There is not a single soul on Earth who does not know or fear the name. The virus has already infected more than 5 million people all around the globe while recording more than 345,000 deaths.
In the early days of January, Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province of China, recorded its first patient with the virus soon escalating as an exponential spread, both in and out of the country, ultimately resulting in the pandemic that we currently face. Within weeks, the COVID-19 virus managed to shut down the whole world. Many nations have succumbed to this pandemic and are now trying their best to get back on their feet. This brings us to the question-How is China coping with it now?
China, being the origin point of the pandemic, was taken by surprise and within days there were countless patients and deaths. Wuhan city was isolated from the rest of the world with its transportation coming to a halt. The government had taken strict measures restricting people to just their homes. While the other countries fell victim to COVID-19, China adopted new methods to overcome this hurdle.
Robotics and autonomous vehicles have been put to use for the delivery of all essential goods including food and medicine. This has been a major contribution in minimizing human contact. Furthermore, the installation of infrared temperature detection systems has paved the way to identify possible patients, which allowed the authorities not only to reduce the spreading of the virus but also to ensure the safety of all other people. At the moment, as I pen down these words, China is at the 14th place on the ranking of number of COVID-19 patients in the world, reporting just 3 new cases and 0 deaths for the past 24 hours. This is solely attributed to the fact that the Chinese Government was not hesitant to invoke drastic measures such as complete lockdowns.
Their gamble has paid off as China now resumes their day to day activities while maintaining high health standards. It must be pointed out that the cooperative contribution from the citizens of China towards good health practices was key to the improvement of the country’s situation. Nearly all of China’s major industrial companies have reportedly resumed their production as well as public transportation. These are done under strict rules and regulations, especially including the mandatory 14-day self-quarantine process for the suspected. Most of the employers have provided sanitizers as well as face masks, an extra step taken to ensure employee health and safety.
Despite all of this, the blow to the economy cannot be mended as a nearly 2-month total lockdown has crippled the economy to a feeble state. However, it is admirable how China is managing to recover. So for the moment, they seem to be coping well with the situation. If the rest of the world were to follow China as an example and contribute cooperatively, the successful tackling of COVID-19 would not be an impossible feat.
-Written by Rtr. Sachindra Mendis –
Image Credits:
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