The world is on fire with Covid-19 infections. We have never faced an enemy like the SARS-Cov-2 virus. The closest analog was the 1918 flu virus, but the world is much more tightly interconnected now and there is no place on Earth where you can go to hide from the virus. It has reached into the remotest corners of the planet. Most of the nations of the world are ill-equipped to combat the plague.

First emerging in Wuhan, China, the disease was initially downplayed by the government of the Peoples Republic. However, it soon became clear that the new disease was a serious threat. The government responded by mandating drastic measures to contain the disease. People in China are accustomed to doing what the government says. There is little tolerance for dissent. Americans would find such a system oppressive, but in extraordinary situations, such as a serious disease outbreak, getting quick and complete compliance to newly formulated rules can nip an impending disaster in the bud, and save hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of lives.

The authorities in China, being forewarned by the SARS-Cov-1 epidemic that broke out there in 2003, had prepared for the next similar threat to emerge. They implemented several measures that effectively stopped the spread of SARS-Cov-2 within the borders of the PRC, while the disease escaped via international travel and spread throughout the rest of the world.

In China, the government’s response included:

• Contact tracing and case identification
• Large-scale surveillance
• City lockdown
• Social distancing
• A national reporting system
• Building new hospitals within a matter of days
• Closing airports
• Discontinuing public transportation
• Large-scale quarantines (entire cities)

The public complied with these measures, without complaint, realizing that they were for the common good. As a result, China flattened the curve. Community transmission ceased and the virus effectively became extinct within China’s borders.

This highly effective response to the emergency stands in stark contrast to the way the United States has dealt with SARS-Cov-2. In the US, over eight million cases have been recorded as well as over 220,000 deaths, as of October 20, 2020. That’s not even the extent of the damage, however. Cases in the US are in an uptrend again, after a lull. With winter coming on, a new surge in cases is almost inevitable. We may look back at the time when there were only 220,000 deaths due to Covid-19 as a happier time. The next few months will be critical. Are we prepared to make the kind of sacrifices that the people of China made, to clear their country of disease? As it has turned out, the sacrifices they made in terms of changes to their lifestyle were insignificant compared to the death and disease that they avoided by making those sacrifices. During World War II, Americans joined together in common cause to do whatever it took to defeat a common enemy. Hopefully, we will be able to mount that kind of response to our current enemy, the SARS-Cov-2 virus.

BIO:

Allen G. Taylor is a 40-year veteran of the computer industry and the author of over 40 books, including Develop Microsoft HoloLens Apps Now, Get Fit with Apple Watch, Cruise for Free, SQL For Dummies, 9th Edition, Crystal Reports 2008 For Dummies, Database Development For Dummies, Access Power Programming with VBA, and SQL All-In-One For Dummies, Third Edition. He lectures internationally on astronomy, databases, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He also teaches database development and Crystal Reports through a leading online education provider. For the latest news on Allen’s activities, check out his blog at wwwallengtaylor.com or contact him at allen.taylor@ieee.org.