Coronavirus: What could the West learn from Asia?

Coronavirus: What could the West learn from Asia? By Helier Cheung - BBC News 21 Mar 20

Below is a precis of an article by Helier Cheung that also appeared in Yahoo News.  While the clown President Trump and his evil men in Washington tried to shift the blame on China for their own failures and incompetence and clowning when China broke the news on 31 Dec 19 to WHO, they could have taken effective measures instead to prevent the spread of the virus to the USA. When this news was reported, there was hardly any cases in the USA. The virus could not have jumped to the USA overnight. The truth was that the virus was all over the USA and other countries but no one was testing them no one knew about them and allowed the virus to spread undetected and uncontrolled. So stop blaming China for your own incompetence and mischief.

Below is Helier Cheung's article in brief.

The number of coronavirus cases in the West is skyrocketing, and countries have announced drastic measures, including school closures and lockdowns.
The outbreak hit many countries in Asia several weeks earlier - and some have been praised for containing the number of infections. For example, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan all kept case numbers relatively low - despite their proximity to mainland China.
What did they do differently - and are there any lessons for other countries?

Lesson 1: Take it seriously - and act quickly

"The UK and US lost an opportunity," says Tikki Pangestu, a former director of research policy at the World Health Organization (WHO). "They had two months from what happened in China, yet there was this perception that 'China is very far away and nothing's going to happen'."

Lesson 2: Make tests extensive, and affordable

Cases in South Korea spiked initially. However, it swiftly developed a test for the virus - and has now tested more than 290,000 people. It conducts about 10,000 tests daily for free.

Lesson 3: Trace and isolate
It's not enough to just test those with symptoms - tracing those with whom they were in contact has been key.
In Singapore, detectives have contact-traced more than 6,000 people - locating individuals with CCTV footage, testing them, and ordering them to self-isolate until their results are clear. In Hong Kong, contact tracing goes back to two days before someone develops symptoms.

Lesson 4: Early social distancing
Social distancing is considered one of the best ways of containing an outbreak.

Lesson 5: Keep the public well informed and on side
"Unless you get the co-operation of the public, your policies may not be adhered to, and enforcement only goes so far," says Prof Pangestu. "The important thing is to show that policies are based on scientific evidence."

Lesson 6: It's also down to individual attitudes
It's far too simplistic to say, as some have, that Asians are more likely to comply with government orders. In Hong Kong, public trust in the government is low - and there have been months of anti-government protests. But, in one of the densest cities in the world, many have voluntarily socially distanced themselves - with some even avoiding Lunar New Year gatherings, the equivalent of skipping Christmas events.