With the number of infected now at 2 million and deaths soon but approaching half a million, the covid 19 pandemic is surely a global pandemic that will be told for ages to come. With the global economy expected to take dramatic downturn that is expected to be similar to the great depression of 1929 and with almost every aspect of society drastically affected, it’s a surprise to note that politics is increasingly gaining centre stage in a battle where the major players should be the medical personnel. Unlike the Spanish flu pandemic that happened immediately after the first world war, the covid 19 outbreak is likely to show how a pandemic can affect even the top of society’s political structure even during peace time.
The Fall And Rise Of Asian Tiger.
The covid 19 pandemic started in China, but as the Chinese communist party likes to put it, it didn’t originate from china. Whether that’s fact or fiction is a story for another day. With the Hong Kong protests ongoing and a trade war initiated by Trump having an effect on her economy, the last thing china needed was a pandemic outbreak, more so one that had no cure and was new to the medical world. The Chinese communist party, cautious of its image internationally initially denied the outbreak and times hid the facts, this is clearly explained by arrest and forced confession of the whistle blower doctor Li Wenling or the fact that the virus was first reported to WHO on 31st December and yet as some sources claim, it could have been present since November 2019. Had the Chinese authorities put public health before international image, probably the virus wouldn’t have spread thus far. Needless to say at China’s darkest hour, most countries evacuated their citizens, imposed travel bans or worse still a growing racist atmosphere towards people of Asian decent was on the rise. If there was one time being Chinese was a crime, this was it. The Trump administration which considers Beijing a foe, seized the moment and imposed strict travel bans to China, and through American media outlets there was negative publicity of not only the Chinese approach to the virus but also Chinese communist party system. Trump`s continuous use of the phrase `` the Chinese virus`` didn’t help to reduce the tensions either. With the Chinese state in shambles, no better news could reach the white house than Iran, a country that America was nearly engaging in war with at the start of year, starting to report hundreds of cases daily and having an enormous effect on its health system. The notion that this could be an American bio weapon was growing especially in China, though one must add, that at that time the pandemic was growing in South Korea, Japan Italy and Germany, all US allies.
Fast forward to March, and the tide on the war on the virus had changed. Not only had the WHO finally declared the outbreak a pandemic but also the epicentre of the outbreak had shifted from china to Europe. A combination of a grand mobilisation of resources, a total lockdown in areas such as Wuhan, strict health measures such as temperature checks at entry points and movement that’s permitted only through health codes and not neglecting that all this was backed by the propaganda of patriotism , a call of action to fight the peoples war as president Xi once said. China was recovering fast and really fast. On March 28th, Wuhan , the Chinese epicentre recorded zero new infections, and with that some restrictions were eased by the 8th of April. With China recovering and the world falling sick, China presented herself as the messiah. China sent medical supplies to almost all affected countries in the world, Chinese medical personnel were dispatched too and video conferencing between Chinese scientists and affected nations becoming somewhat of the norm. China’s richest man Jack Ma, dispatched medical supplies to all 54 African countries through Ethiopian airlines , an airline that is being criticized to bringing the pandemic to Africa, as it maintained flights to and from China when the majority had halted. This situation puts China at a global strength compared most countries in the world because not only is she resuming productivity when most of the world is on shut down, but geo politically it positioning itself a major global player mainly through the dependency syndrome where some countries rely on her for medical help and equipment and others financial aid. Needless to say, some countries such as Sweden, Spain and Netherlands have reported defunct or fake medical equipment from china and with alleged racism happening to the African community coupled with the dramatic increase of imported cases ,the image of the Asian tiger that was being repaired during the pandemic is now under scrutiny.
Trump And The Chinese Virus.
Probably trump never expected the Pandemic to get a foothold in the land of the free. Probably no one should blame him , his worries at the start of the year were Iran and a presidential election due in November. But when the virus, did get a foothold, it did and really fast. By Easter, America was a the country with the most cases and with deaths almost surpassing Italy. With New York, the financial hub of the world, recording and average of 2000 deaths daily and with over 6 million Americans applying for unemployment benefits, reality started to kick in the Trump white house. Trump`s earlier remarks of comparing the virus to the seasonal flue or claims that he will put America back to normal by Easter now sounds not only ludacris but also another weapon for his critics to us against him in the re-election campaign.
With America facing the wrath of the virus, many in the white house are shifting the blame to Beijing. News outlets such as fox news and Washington post have all claimed to provide fuel to the theory that the virus might been created in the virology centre in Wuhan, that is near the fish food market where most of the early cases could traced from although both the Chinese government and world health organisation have denied it. The continued use by trump of the phrase ``Chinese virus`` and the withdrawal of funding to WHO due to what Washington claims was its compliancy in handling the crisis and sympathy to China is just rubbing salt to injury to a decline in relations between Beijing and Washington.
When the storm finally ceases, many questions will be raised about the virus. Unfortunately politicians not medics will provide the answers and depending on their political perspective , the aftermath of the virus is more of a political contest than a medical milestone.
©rugaba.
