There is a lot to suggest that countries which closed their borders and implemented appropriate measures had lesser rates of inflection. No one disputes Japan's success here - only 41 deaths - something quite extraordinary in the context. Even if we look at Ireland, their death rate is very low, simply because they took it seriously and enacted the appropriate measures. I also don't think they were accepting flights from China, Iran and Italy well into a period which common sense would dictate that it was inappropriate to do so.
The WHO seems to be patting Russia on the back, but the same organisation has kept its mouth shut about important measures China failed to do. Most of Russia's current infections stem from returning nationals. To me, that indicates a failure to see how rapid the virus moved from China into Europe. Only time will tell if they experience the same spikes in numbers that western European countries have. The EU failed to sanction border closing and has done nothing for Italy and Spain. The fact Italy begged Russia for help is indicative of the EU's shameful inability to act properly on behalf of its members states. (Yet, did they really find time yesterday to provide Iran with a €20mn aid package, with Italy and Spain left on their knees?)
I'm less interested really in the situation in Russia and more interested in what developed in China, because this is the real crux of the matter here.
The CCP emphatically and repeatedly denied that human transmission was possible, despite the fact that doctors in Wuhan concluded it was an undeniable fact. The same doctors were then designated enemies of the people for going public with their grave warnings of a new SARS-like virus. We've been here before: the CCP also denied that in 2002. In late 2019 this particular coronavirus jumped from an animal species to humans, probably through a Chinese 'wet market'. The Lancet identifies the first "Chinese" coronavirus patient on 1 December last year. Even earlier doctors in Wuhan stated it was spreading between humans at this point.
The CCP's reaction: shut down the whistleblowers and cover everything up:
Dr Li Wenliang (now dead);
Dr Mei Zhongmin (now dead);
Chen Qiushi (missing since 6 February, 2020);
Fang Bin (missing since?); and,
Professor Xu Zhangrun (missing since ?).
It's normal business in China to behave like that, but it really has made them lose face to the outside world. Now you know why Hong Kong continues to fester. Why live under such an authority? We've got a government full of shitehawks who won't even stand by our former colony - because it will 'ruin' our relationship with Beijing and the free-trade deal we so desperately want. Christ, at least the Americans support the Taiwanese who also don't want Beijing.
On Christmas Day last year, large amounts of medical staff in Wuhan had contracted 'viral pneumonia', further evidence of human-to-human transmission. Denied outright by the CCP against clear medical evidence. Denied even by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission on 31 December.
The new year begins with Dr Li and seven others arrested. We know he's dead, but the fate of the others remains unknown. On 1 January the Hubei Provincial Health Commission, on orders from the CCP, orders the termination of any new testing and the destruction of all existing samples. On 2 January some 13,500 people left Wuhan to destinations in the US. An additional 175,000 people left Wuhan to other destinations in China and abroad. Only on 9 January did the CCP announce that the Wuhan Institute of Virology had mapped the genome of the virus. Before that announcement Hong Kong had already warned of a new viral pneumonia which was transmitted human-to-human. By 6 January the New York Times had already identified a Wuhan virus - remember 3 days before the CCP would admit anything.
I could go on and on, but you get the point. Even on 10 January the Wuhan City Health Commission declared there was no proof to support so-called evidence of human transmission, despite evidence from doctors in Wuhan that this was a scientific fact. Political leaders refused to discuss the so-called virus and simply felt the likes of Dr Li were some sort of Western-backed enemies of the state. How bloody intelligent when people in and around Wuhan and beyond knew something was wrong.
The party sat on its arse and fired out slogans and arrested those brave enough to bring the situation to their attention. What they should have done is put their inflated egos away and listened for once. Only now does President Xi wander around, trying to assure (not reassure) our naive, pathetic political leaders that he was always on top of everything and offers help unconditionally. We're so afraid of losing trade links that we keep our mouths shut about it, and almost deny it originated in China for fear of the accusation of racism and the reality of losing trade incomes.
The CCP lied to itself, its own citizens and the world about the Chinese virus/Covid19/2019-nCoV, whatever you want to call it, and the effects of it nationally and internationally. Why should anyone really be surprised about this behaviour? Why should anyone ever trust the words of the CCP?
Only on 23 January did the CCP finally own up to the evidence and establish steps for quarantine in Wuhan. Too bloody late! Millions had already left, because they had a strong premonition of what was really going on, even if Xi and the CCP were in blatant denial. Just in time for the Chinese New Year, when millions go to other cities and abroad to celebrate, so again this 'exodus' and mass movement of people could be covered up for what it really was and understood by people in and around Wuhan and beyond. Subsequently, the virus was well on its way to south-east Asia, Europe, the US and beyond by the middle to end of January.
And this is why we are where we are now.
I remain to be convinced the whole thing wasn't planned in some way or another.
