I love a good conspiracy theory as much as anyone, particularly anything to do with Area 51. But it seems that some people want to stir up some panic by posting their unfounded thoughts on Twitter. I know to many this would seem like an obvious statement (what else is Twitter for?) but when I see tweets like this:
It makes me wonder if people are trying to throw stones at China while they’re trying to fix the problem.
Yes, China has a history of trying to make problems simply go away either by playing down their severity or by trying to deal with it in-house rather than ask for help from abroad.
But this coronavirus and its subsequent reaction by authorities is vastly different from previous times.
First, technology has gotten a lot better, not just what’s used to treat, research and investigate the disease, but also in terms of transmission of information. WeChat, a social media APP that permeates people’s lives in China, makes it easy for the authorities to disperse information through official channels that anyone and everyone can access. This is a huge step over other times of epidemics.
Further, the country is on holiday and most of the mass migration had already happened prior to the Spring Festival. Now, this is some cause for concern because people went from Tier 1 cities with good healthcare to smaller villages where healthcare and hygiene standards may not be as developed. When these people start to return to the bigger cities, this is when it could become more of a problem.
However, in response to this possibility, the authorities have already closed down some transport routes into and out of some cities. WuHan especially has basically been blocked off in an effort to contain the virus.
Most recently, thermal imaging cameras and other temperature gauge devices have been put in place in subways in bigger cities (such as Beijing) which will either help things or make them worse. It could help because it will identify people who are experiencing fever symptoms, but it also may discourage people from taking the subway and, instead, take other means of transportation. It is hoped that people will simply stay at home.
You do need to follow the official channels of communication. They include Chinese sources and foreign. Chinese sources include:
- National Health Commission of the PRC (http://en.nhc.gov.cn/) – Main source of information for health matters in Mainland China.
- DXY.cn – A Chinese health website
For Chinese news services:
- Xinhua New Agency (news.cn) – China’s largest news provided
- People’s Daily – China’s main newspaper
- China Daily – English newspaper in China
- CGTN.com – Chinese News Channel
Foreign sources include:
- Center for Disease Control in the US
- World Health Organization
And Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering have put together a heat map of the spread of the virus so far:
and
https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
Yes, this is a startling event but having Twitterers like the guy above yammering on about “I’m not s professional but they’re lying about the numbers” isn’t helping the situation. And what numbers would make him happy? Does he want pictures of the dead? It’s profiles like those, especially without a face to the name, that one needs to be a little wary of.
Anyway, Beijing is still pretty quiet but that’s pretty normal for this time of year since everybody is out of town for Spring Festival. There are still people out and about, but far fewer in number. The cafe I usually go to was practically empty. And everyone is wearing a mask now.
Hand sanitizer, wash your hands, drink lots of fluids (not just hot water, as the Chinese believe), exercise and get some rest. Typical advice on how to stay healthy.
On a rather grim note, yes the death toll has increased to 56 but, again, these were mostly confined to WuHan or Hubei province itself. Since the area has been blocked off, the virus basically has a week to peter out before people start trying to return to other parts of the country for work. And this is when it may become a problem.
However, on a positive note, 49 people have so far recovered from the symptoms they were experiencing. This means that the disease can be beaten and that it’s not a “if you get it, you’re done.”
Stay safe out there! There’s lots of information coming out but we need to follow the sources that are in closest contact with the issue. Following random social media hype doesn’t do anybody any good.