Jubilee Post News & Views
Krishnamohan Jha
Corona virus has caused death of about 400 people in China and about 1800 others are serious after being infected with the virus. The Wuhan city which is being termed epicenter of the Corona virus has recently got a 1000 bed hospital constructed in just 9 days by the Chinese authorities.
Construction of this hospital reveals China had sensed the danger from the virus. That is why a 1000 bed hospital was prepared and a speciality services enabled 14 bed separate hospital is under construction.
China has taken several steps to control Corona virus. Once such step was to restrict movement of people from Wuhan city, which has a population of about 11 million. Also such restrictions have been imposed upon people in the entire Hubei province.
people are scared to such a level from Corona virus that streets of Wuhan city that remained peopled appear deserted these days. Shops have locks hanging at the main entrance and no one can say till when such a situation will remain.
Several countries have made claims that the number of infected and those died that is being told by the government in China is not trustworthy. The kind of sanctioned imposed upon media is sufficient to tell that the correct information about deaths and illness is not being told to the world outside.
The national health commission in China has refuted such thoughts and said that about 250 patients infected with Corona virus have gone back home after completing treatment. The commission claimed that what ever steps have been taken for Corona virus are being shared with all and with full transparency. Nothing is hidden, commission said.
The commission further said that there is no laxity in dealing with the virus from the government and that government is aware of its responsibilities. But despite these claims by China many other countries are unable to believe that China has not hidden facts from the world.
It is said that infection from this virus had started in December 2019 only when seven patients in one of the hospitals were isolated keeping in view a mysterious illness in them. It was then assumed that this could be another strain of the SARS that had troubled China in 2002. It may be noted that then about 800 people had died due to SARS.
According to medical researchers Corona virus has many strains but majority have no life threat but this new type of corona virus is fatal too. The speed with which the virus is spreading has compelled many countries to take steps.
Recently a 44 year old man of Manila in Philippines died of corona virus after he returned from Wuhan. A woman who also returned from Wuhan is undergoing treatment at a hospital. The death of the man has alarmed government in 25 countries. These countries have initiated steps for controlling virus and have called back their citizens who were putting up in China.
India, Russia, America, Indonesia, have kept the citizens who returned from China under observation. Observation is necessary to make sure they do not carry virus when they go home and if they have symptoms they be treated at hospitals. In India three persons had confirmed virus till now and they are from Kerala.
Since all three were from Kerala hence the state has declared it a disaster. According to the union health ministry 650 Indians were brought back from China in two flights. In all samples were collected from 338 passengers and of them 335 tested negative and only three tested positive.
India has called back its 600 citizen from China and a panel of ministers has been formed which is led by union health minister Dr Harshwardhan. It may be mentioned here that during the previous Modi government when Sushma Swaraj was the minister for external affairs the Indian government had acted pro-active for any Indian stuck in any country.
The tussle between China and America that has been existing since long due to trade war between the two countries has increased due to corona virus. America has banned entry of people from other countries who have travelled through China and China has not stopped itself from reacting to this decision.
China has said that America is creating an atmosphere of fear in the world but it is time that countries should come forward to help China. During the 146th session of the working board of the world health organization china expressed hope that countries including America will help China to deal with corona virus.
America had declared emergency after corona virus spread and had said that no passenger who is resident of any other country will be given entry in America if they have travelled through China in the last two weeks.
Also the Americans returning from China will have to stay under medical observation for 14 days. China condemned this decision of America and said this was against the directives of the world health organization.
Surprisingly many other countries have taken similar preventive measures but China objected most to the decision by America. Israel government has also stopped entry of people coming from China. Russia has also called back its citizens.
Even Bangladesh has stopped online visa for Chinese travelers and so has India done. This applies to people applying from china and those who are from other countries but live in china. Even the visa applications approved earlier have a problem now.
Majority countries are of the opinion that China tried to hide the initial problem from Corona virus but when the situation went out of control then China was left with no option but to disclose everything to all the countries and world. But the death toll and infection told by China is not trustworthy.
Many hotels in some of the countries have boards hanging outside with “no entry for Chinese” written on it. The aviation department of China told that 46 countries have stopped flights to and fro china. Now only those countries are sending flights here who have to evacuate their citizens from China.
the world health organization has also said that the virus has become a threat for the world. It may be noted that corona virus is from the family of viruses that cause common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. It was named novel coronavirus in 2019.
In the starting it causes cold, cough and fever and it is difficult to diagnose as corona virus. In majority cases the illness is detected as corona virus when the stage becomes serious. Scientists are searching for its vaccine but still it is being searched but till the search is being done preventive measures can save lives.
The entire world should be made aware about it so that the virus does not make an epidemic. All the countries have to work together. But if some countries keep travelers from China under medical observation it is justified. Such a decision does not mean the country is creating panic situation. This step should not be doubted neither the vulnerability should be kept under the wraps.
