(Photo: CGTN)
Editor's Note: The following article is taken from the Chinese-language opinion column "The Real Point."
"China has rolled out perhaps the most ambitious, agile and aggressive disease containment effort in history."
This is the conclusion reached by 25 experts from the World Health Organization and several countries including China, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the United States after a 9-day inspection tour.
Senior WHO advisor Dr. Bruce Aylward led the joint inspection team in several parts of China, including Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak. He recently shared his thoughts at two press conferences held in Beijing and Geneva.
"If I had COVID-19, I'd want to be treated in China."
"The only successful measures we know so far to contain COVID19 have been here in China."
Aylward also called on the rest of the world to "learn from the prevention and control measures taken by the Chinese government and in different provinces, and the effectiveness of these measures."
What prompted such thoughts and conclusions from Aylward and his colleagues? From building two designated hospitals offering over 2,500 beds in just over a week in Wuhan, to weaving a prevention and control network that covers both urban and rural areas, China has demonstrated its abilities to mobilize people, its determined execution of the measures and its altruism.
As the joint inspection report states, China took non-pharmaceutical measures such as "isolation, medical observation, social distancing, and personal protection" to effectively prevent the spread of the virus.
What also impressed the experts was China’s efforts to treat the patients with the help of technologies such as big data, AI and 5G.
China spent a considerable amount of money on medical equipment in order to save more lives. During the inspection tours, Aylward asked one hospital how many ventilators they had, the answer being "50,60."
The WHO advisor also asked how many extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) systems the hospital had, and was told there were five. "Five in one hospital? We don’t have that in Europe," Aylward said.
As of March 1, over 40,000 medical staff members have joined the fight against the virus in Hubei. On February 9, more than 5,000 medical staff members from all over China arrived at Wuhan’s Tianhe Airport on over 40 chartered flights.
Meanwhile, people in China have been working hard to ensure the supplies for Wuhan, making donations or cheering for Wuhan. As the inspection report said, "Achieving China’s exceptional coverage with and adherence to these containment measures has only been possible due to the deep commitment of the Chinese people to collective action in the face of this common threat." It added that, "The Joint Mission was struck by the sincerity and dedication that each brings to this COVID-19 response."
As the virus takes foothold across the globe, the report underlined that China’s measures are valuable experiences to the world’s battle against it. Former Slovenian President Danilo Türk recently published an article saying "The experience of China has already offered some key lessons for the world."
The Associated Press said on February 29 that "If a disease isn’t truly understood and there are no medicines or vaccines for it, then quarantine is the most effective way to curb its spread."
Italy has put the cities where there are outbreaks under quarantine, and South Korea has designated Daegu and Kyungpook "special management zones" in an effort to prevent the virus from spreading further.
During his phone conversations with leaders from other countries, meetings with foreign dignitaries or letters to foreign fiends, Chinese President Xi Jinping has reiterated many times that all humankind are part of a community of shared future. China will continue to work hard with all countries in the fight against the coronavirus.
(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinion@cgtn.com.)