By: John Hall, Editor in Chief
Making its way through China is the rapidly moving coronavirus that has not shown any signs of capitulating. As of Feb. 3, the World Health Organization (W.H.O) 2020 situation report categorized the effects of the virus, showing over 20 countries that reported the infections so far, including China. According to CNN, as of Feb. 11 over 1100 persons have died as a result of contracting the virus, while 42,708 persons are said to be infected by the coronavirus with the numbers increasing.
In hindsight, there were three outbreaks in the past that parallel the coronavirus, but several have happened in recent years that were small and contained.
Professor of Political Sciences and International Security/Diplomacy, Marco Rimanelli, Ph.D. weighed in on the potential and very real implications the coronavirus is having on a global scale.
“The current comparison in the news is that the annual influenza outbreak in America has killed 10,000 persons, compared to the 300 plus out of 17,000 cases who have died by coronavirus” said Rimanelli. “The key is to look at the spread of this virus and the possibility of its mutation.”
One of the major diseases comparable to the coronavirus is the great influenza of World War One. Rimanelli explained the asymptomatic nature was one of the key features in the global community that caused terror.
“People who are infected do not know they are infected until they get really sick, and are transmitting [the virus]by air, which is the worst possible situation, [moving]person to person,” said Rimanelli
Rimanelli explained that this paralleled The Great Influenza, which spread between populations and was also airborne.
Rimanelli explained that the fear people have today is that the coronavirus might evolve or become a pandemic like The Great Influenza. The other viruses included SARS and other avian flus that came out of China but were of a lesser risk to the global community.
Rimanelli explained that, historically, The Great Influenza spread as a result of farm boys that were recruited to the Army that had never been vaccinated and who spread the virus to the troops. As the troops communed with each other and came in contact with healthcare professionals, left for a break to interact with their families and entered different ports of entry, they infected even more persons.
Compounding the issue was the demonstration of military-might that served as an attempt to garner patriotism and support for the war.
“The American Government demanded the population to come and to watch the military go by and show patriotism with great parades to recruit these people and to buy liberty bonds to finance the war,” said Rimanelli.
In his review of the book, “The Great Influenza” by John M. Barry, Rimanelli discussed the implications of censorship. Rimanelli wrote, “the politico-military censorship of World War I America and Europe made sure that in each wartime country affected, public military authority censored its massive spread, then denied its existence to an anxious public [who]later minimized its escalating casualties and finally quarantined military bases and cities across America.”
This draws a stark comparison to the Chinese born virus that had been suppressed in the Chinese local media. Li Wenliang, M.D., who became known as the “Chinese whistleblower,” died on Feb. 6. The doctor gained notoriety after sending a text message in Dec. 2019, warning his colleagues of a “SARS-like” disease, that was affecting many patients under his remit. The doctor was quickly silenced within hours of sending the text message, essentially being forced to sign a gag order preventing him from saying anything else about the virus while also admitting to starting civil unrest.
Compounding the issues are Chinese officials who continue to accuse the United States of creating mass hysteria with its overreaction to the outbreak. In a message released by China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying spoke.
“All it [The United States] has done could only create and spread fear, which is a bad example,” said Chunying. “We hope countries will make reasonable, calm and science-based judgments and responses.”
However, the United States and a number of other countries have placed bans on flights and persons coming from China to stem the flow of the virus globally. Notwithstanding the widening net of travel restrictions, the CDC reported, as of Feb. 10, 2020, 28 countries with confirmed cases of the coronavirus globally.
Similarly, during the SARS epidemic, Rimanelli explained that trade and global relations were affected immensely. Rimanelli explained that SARS was slow-moving yet, still dangerous with its 15 percent mortality rate. Given the eventual shut down of important services due to the outbreak, trade and, eventually, the economy that was alive and booming would also slow down. Rimanelli explained that it took almost a year for China to recuperate from the effects of that virus.
Certainly, those concerns are raised now, as China is under-reporting effects regarding the spread as they rush to contain the affected in newly built hospitals.
