Chinese Lament Epidemic Prospects in US
By Liu Caiyu and Zhao Juecheng
Global Times
2020/4/1 23:18:40
Multiple American outbreak spots face lack of nationwide support
Chinese experts and netizens have expressed grave concern about the fast-expanding COVID-19 epidemic in the US, and they have tried to provide suggestions based on China's experience in winning the battle against the virus.
It's not necessary or even possible for the US to replicate China's model of fighting the outbreak, but the US government can still learn much from the Chinese experience, analysts said on Wednesday as infections and deaths continued spiking in the US, with one estimate saying that the virus may claim up to 240,000 lives in the country.
More US states will suffer from shortages of facilities due to imbalanced distribution of medical resources, some predicted, adding that the inflection point of new infections will not appear until mid-April and the pandemic won't subside until June.
Imposing stricter quarantine policies and encouraging people to wear masks are among policies that the US is able to adopt. China has done these things well and they have proven to be effective, although other Chinese experiences are beyond the capacity of the US government.
The US has more confirmed cases than any other country, with almost 190,000 infections and 4,076 deaths as of Wednesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The White House predicted that the novel coronavirus may claim up to 240,000 lives in the US.
Mandatory quarantines and complete city lockdowns may not be practical in the US, but the US government could encourage people to self-quarantine by offering rewards, said Liu Weidong, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of American Studies.
Generally, Americans should adapt to a "new normal," by reducing the frequency of grocery shopping and wearing masks when they go out. Short supplies should not be a reason for the government to deny the effectiveness of masks, public health experts said.
The second week of April should be the peak of the COVID-19 spread in the US but the epidemic won't end at least until June in the country, Chen Xi, an assistant professor of public health at Yale University, told the Global Times.
It is urgent to increase beds and medical supplies to states accordingly. The imbalanced distribution of medical resources among regions is one reason the outbreak in the US has gotten out of control, Chen said.
Wang Peiyu, deputy head of Peking University's school of public health, warned that in the next few weeks, the US may face a "medical system breakdown," when the country will be short of intensive care units, ventilators and personal protective equipment.
Liu said that the Chinese government could consider sending medical experts to share China's experience in rescue and treatment. Non-official organizations can also give the US a hand by sending medical supplies that are in urgent need.
US President Donald Trump has ordered companies including General Motors to produce ventilators, but the production rate cannot keep up with the spread of COVID-19 in the short term, observers noted.
New York is so far the worst-hit state but "unlike China, which basically contained the outbreak in Wuhan and addressed the problem with nationwide support, the US has multiple other outbreak spots and the virus is still spreading across states," Wang noted. The US government must figure out an overall response strategy, or it cannot win the battle against the virus, he said.
The US government must further expand its testing scope and ability as well as identify sources of infection in a timely manner, or the growing number of patients would outnumber hospital beds, experts warned.
A resident in the state of North Carolina surnamed Wong told the Global Times that he had a fever and called the local hospital in hopes of taking a COVID-19 test, but was informed that "only people with severe symptoms who have difficulty speaking or breathing can get the test."
The Atlantic magazine reported on Tuesday that testing capabilities in the US are dominated by private labs and they have reached their limits, leaving a large backlog of samples.
Researchers at the University of Washington simulated via a model that a shortage of hospital beds will cause at least 81,000 deaths in the US in the next four months, most in April.
New deaths may reach a peak in mid-April with more than 2,300 a day, the simulation found.
Global Times
2020/4/1 23:18:40
Multiple American outbreak spots face lack of nationwide support
Chinese experts and netizens have expressed grave concern about the fast-expanding COVID-19 epidemic in the US, and they have tried to provide suggestions based on China's experience in winning the battle against the virus.
It's not necessary or even possible for the US to replicate China's model of fighting the outbreak, but the US government can still learn much from the Chinese experience, analysts said on Wednesday as infections and deaths continued spiking in the US, with one estimate saying that the virus may claim up to 240,000 lives in the country.
More US states will suffer from shortages of facilities due to imbalanced distribution of medical resources, some predicted, adding that the inflection point of new infections will not appear until mid-April and the pandemic won't subside until June.
Imposing stricter quarantine policies and encouraging people to wear masks are among policies that the US is able to adopt. China has done these things well and they have proven to be effective, although other Chinese experiences are beyond the capacity of the US government.
The US has more confirmed cases than any other country, with almost 190,000 infections and 4,076 deaths as of Wednesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The White House predicted that the novel coronavirus may claim up to 240,000 lives in the US.
Mandatory quarantines and complete city lockdowns may not be practical in the US, but the US government could encourage people to self-quarantine by offering rewards, said Liu Weidong, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of American Studies.
Generally, Americans should adapt to a "new normal," by reducing the frequency of grocery shopping and wearing masks when they go out. Short supplies should not be a reason for the government to deny the effectiveness of masks, public health experts said.
The second week of April should be the peak of the COVID-19 spread in the US but the epidemic won't end at least until June in the country, Chen Xi, an assistant professor of public health at Yale University, told the Global Times.
It is urgent to increase beds and medical supplies to states accordingly. The imbalanced distribution of medical resources among regions is one reason the outbreak in the US has gotten out of control, Chen said.
Wang Peiyu, deputy head of Peking University's school of public health, warned that in the next few weeks, the US may face a "medical system breakdown," when the country will be short of intensive care units, ventilators and personal protective equipment.
Liu said that the Chinese government could consider sending medical experts to share China's experience in rescue and treatment. Non-official organizations can also give the US a hand by sending medical supplies that are in urgent need.
US President Donald Trump has ordered companies including General Motors to produce ventilators, but the production rate cannot keep up with the spread of COVID-19 in the short term, observers noted.
New York is so far the worst-hit state but "unlike China, which basically contained the outbreak in Wuhan and addressed the problem with nationwide support, the US has multiple other outbreak spots and the virus is still spreading across states," Wang noted. The US government must figure out an overall response strategy, or it cannot win the battle against the virus, he said.
The US government must further expand its testing scope and ability as well as identify sources of infection in a timely manner, or the growing number of patients would outnumber hospital beds, experts warned.
A resident in the state of North Carolina surnamed Wong told the Global Times that he had a fever and called the local hospital in hopes of taking a COVID-19 test, but was informed that "only people with severe symptoms who have difficulty speaking or breathing can get the test."
The Atlantic magazine reported on Tuesday that testing capabilities in the US are dominated by private labs and they have reached their limits, leaving a large backlog of samples.
Researchers at the University of Washington simulated via a model that a shortage of hospital beds will cause at least 81,000 deaths in the US in the next four months, most in April.
New deaths may reach a peak in mid-April with more than 2,300 a day, the simulation found.
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