The outbreak of the coronavirus has created a nuanced situation in international relations. As an international institution supposed to defend public health, the World Health Organization (WHO) allowed global hysteria to take hold of a population still reeling from the SARS epidemic of the early 2000s.
My concern is WHO is arguing this is an emergency solely because the epidemic could begin to threaten countries with weaker health systems than China. This is the wrong way to characterize the situation.
Carleton students who walk into the on-campus prescription shop will read a prominently-displayed sign which describes two conditions: (1) symptoms such as coughing, flu, nausea, etc., and (2) a recent history of travelling to Hubei province in China.
Students which match both criteria are told to immediately visit the triage desk at the clinic upstairs. These students are considered to be at an increased risk of contracting novel coronavirus.
The coronavirus has killed over 2,000 people worldwide according to Feb. 17 numbers released by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Major airlines like Air Canada have ceased virtually all traffic to Hubei province, where the disease was first discovered in December. Carleton’s administration has sent out guidance regarding the virus to the student body.
The university is following the advice of Ottawa Public Health and the Government of Canada’s advisories. Students are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Wuhan, the city of 11 million which has been described as a “ghost town” since going under lockdown on Jan. 23. This is akin to locking down all of both the Toronto and Montreal metropolitan areas.
On Jan. 30, WHO declared a public health emergency over the epidemic. When I watched the statement delivered by WHO director general that day, I noted his repeated expressions of gratitude to the Chinese government and careful wording when explaining the epidemic.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and left “in absolutely no doubt about China’s commitment to transparency, and to protecting the world’s people.”
I do not disagree with the view that the Chinese government has taken strong response to the outbreak. One only needs to look at Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, which was built in just 10 days to help contain the outbreak, for proof of China’s capabilities.
The origins of the coronavirus are tied to “wet markets” in Wuhan and elsewhere in China which sell animals in unsanitary conditions. The first human to contract the virus received it from contact with one of those animals. This is how SARS was able to spread in 2003. Coronaviruses in general are adept at jumping between species.
The death toll of novel coronavirus has already surpassed that of SARS. Frantic evacuations out of Wuhan have divided Canadian citizens from their family members. My point above is not meant to be a critique of China’s health system, which clearly is highly advanced. It shows genuine concern about the reluctance of WHO to address the origins of the outbreak.
The examples of recent anti-Chinese discrimination are vile. In an age of social media, fear-mongering surrounding public health can spread like wildfire and transform public opinion about an epidemic. WHO’s inability to declare an emergency earlier, and their decision to put enormous trust in the Chinese government’s transparency, contributed to this.
Uncertainty about the threat coronavirus posed now means people are more uninformed and for some, more ignorant. WHO has a responsibility to investigate not only how to resolve the epidemic, but also how to learn and prevent future outbreaks from occurring.
Here at home, the university administration’s response was quick and appropriate. As Carleton students, we are always taught to broaden our perspectives. Students should avoid spreading rumours which only add to the frenzy, and take the time to actually do research.
In the words of our prime minister, “there is no place in our country for discrimination driven by fear or misinformation.”
Feature image from file.
