Opinion | No room for coronavirus conceit from US or China as world has its hands full fighting pandemic

It is too simplistic to credit China’s containment to authoritarianism, just as America’s failings cannot be blamed on democracy

Any attempt by Beijing or Washington to wag fingers or overplay success only puts off the ordinary people who are paying the price of the pandemic

Reading Time:4 minutes

Workers in protective gear disinfect a plane bound for New York Incheon International Airport in South Korea, as the pandemic shifts westwards. Photo: AP

Published: 9:00am, 22 Mar 2020Updated: 9:09am, 22 Mar 2020

Covid-19 is forcing the world to reassess national strengths and weaknesses. This is not the time for ideological finger-pointing – it will not solve the crisis at hand. Cooperation is what will save lives and the global economy.

The novel coronavirus is spreading exponentially and countries are having to respond. There is no need to argue about whether one political system is better than another. The ones that can make hard, timely decisions to roll out containment and mitigation strategies are the ones doing better.

Leaders from different types of political systems are all scrambling. Success depends not only on good science but also on the strategies each jurisdiction selects to fight this pandemic. The choices are political in nature, and that is why leaders are ultimately responsible.

The ability to cope greatly depends on the availability and robustness of public health systems. This varies around the world since investment in public health and training of health care professionals for infectious disease preparedness takes years to build.

Covid-19 was first reported in Wuhan. The initial delay in dealing with the outbreak lost China valuable time to contain it. When the problem was recognised, the national leadership imposed tough measures to lock down Wuhan city and the wider Hubei province. Much of the country was affected too, with different degrees of containment.

Thank you, Wuhan and Hubei. You led the way in showing the world what it takes to contain such a crisis by shutting down all activity, including schools, travel, restaurants and workplaces. In China, the tough measures worked. The price was very high for its people and the economy. The priority now is to prevent a recurrence and get the economy going again.

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