• About Us
  • Who Are We
  • Work With Us
Thursday, September 21, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Globe Post
39 °f
New York
44 ° Fri
46 ° Sat
40 ° Sun
41 ° Mon
No Result
View All Result
The Globe Post
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion

As Coronavirus Goes Global, the World Must Unite and Cooperate

Mingyue Li by Mingyue Li
03/02/20
in Opinion
A women wears a mouth mask amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Prices of masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes have skyrocketed. Photo: AFP

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The cruise industry has taken a hefty blow amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. With much of the spotlight on growing infections on Diamond Princess – the U.K.-registered, U.S.-owned, and Japan-departed ocean liner – rarely any news report of Costa Serena entered the public eye.

The Costa Serena is an Italian-operated cruise ship that was also forced to dock. Its 4,800 crew and passengers all avoided the nightmare experience of ship-grounded quarantine for one reason: the ship docked in Tianjin, China.

On the Costa Serena, officials followed strict orders to contain the spread of the virus. Within 24 hours, everyone on the ship was tested, landed, and put under quarantine in separate hotel rooms.

These two cruise ships are microcosms of multi-national emergency public health management. When more than one nation is involved, responsibility-taking becomes a politically sensitive and complex issue.

Coronavirus Spread

With COVID-19 spreading closer and closer to a global pandemic, the responsibility to protect fellow humans rests upon every nation. On a unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral level, all countries must act.

Although China’s infection rate is starting to decline, South Korea, Italy, and Iran are witnessing a drastic rise in confirmed cases. The word “pandemic” appears in almost all newspaper headlines, and the CDC is warning U.S. citizens to be prepared for the crisis.

#UPDATE The WHO chief warned that if countries did not quickly mobilise to fight the spread of the virus, "this outbreak could go in any direction. It could even be messy" https://t.co/4lRFjphQkP pic.twitter.com/71kSy2whL5

— AFP news agency (@AFP) February 21, 2020

The worldwide spread is no longer a matter of likelihood, but of when and how severe. It is, therefore, extremely urgent for all countries to take responsive actions, strengthen public health measures, and learn from China’s mistakes and successes.

Transparency

On a unilateral level, all countries need to be transparent and honest with their people. The hard lessons from Wuhan and the failed quarantine on the Diamond Princess show that information control makes the situation worse, not better. Countries must enhance information sharing.

Central, regional, and local governments must cooperate timely and truthfully so that resources can be mobilized, businesses and organizations can react and plan, and civil society can address individual health care needs.

Cooperation With China

On a bilateral level, all countries must cooperate with China, and China must support the world.

As Chinese businesses start to resume work and travel restrictions loosen, the world is likely to see the opposite flow of material and personnel in the coming weeks, namely from China to other countries. This is both a help and a challenge for containing the virus.

A man leaves the Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where a man who died from a respiratory illness was being treated, in the city of Wuhan, Hubei province, China, Jan. 12, 2020.
The virus appears to have originated in the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan. Photo: Noel Celis, AFP

The key lies in bilateral trust. To ensure that the world is in the best position to handle this crisis, China must welcome others’ assistance, and countries under emergency conditions must seek guidance from China’s experience.

WHO and NGOs

On a multilateral level, all countries must work with the World Health Organization (WHO) and NGOs. While the WHO manages samples and shares knowledge worldwide, major NGOs – like Oxfam International, Doctors Without Border, and World Vision – can work at community levels to prevent false information and improve preparedness.

The outbreak is hugely demanding for weaker economies. NGOs serve as the best alternative for providing support and filling the gap. Countries in Africa particularly must think multilaterally and start defining their protocols now.

China’s lockdown-and-standstill approach is indeed extreme and impossible for many countries to imitate, yet all can learn from and reflect upon the Chinese actions.

As we face the hard exam of COVID-19, we benefit from knowing China’s attempted answers. When the world is fighting as a whole, everyone feels more secure.

If the COVID-19 is humans’ common fear, then all nations have common interests in combating it collectively. Let us take responsibility, face the battle with integrity, and cooperate at all levels. A global pandemic can be ended when humanity acts in a united front.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The Globe Post.
ShareTweet
Mingyue Li

Mingyue Li

First-year graduate student at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington Univerisity

Related Posts

US Authorities Seize Artworks Allegedly Stolen by Nazis
Art

US Authorities Seize Artworks Allegedly Stolen by Nazis

by Staff Writer
September 19, 2023
Pro-Trump protester in front of Capitol Hill.
Opinion

The Ominous (and Irresponsible) Chatter of a Civil War 

by Stephen J. Lyons
September 4, 2023
US soldiers
National

Biden to Reform Way Military Handles Sexual Assault Cases

by Staff Writer
July 28, 2023
Women holding up a coathanger reading 'we love our bodily integrity' during a abortion protest.
National

First No-Prescription Birth Control Pill Approved in US

by Staff Writer
July 13, 2023
People visit the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai
World

China Unveils New Operating System Amid US Tensions

by Staff Writer
July 6, 2023
President Donald Trump in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House.
Opinion

Boxing Day Comes to South Florida

by Stephen J. Lyons
July 5, 2023
Next Post
US Senator Bernie Sanders speaks at "The People's Summit" in Chicago, June 10, 2017.

Indian Official Threatens to Interfere in US Election to Stop Sanders

Power Vacuum in Bolivia After Morales Deposed in Coup

MIT Researchers Find No Evidence of Fraud in Bolivia's October Election

Recommended

Man holding up a colored LGBT flag

France Sets Up Embassy Fund to Defend LGBTQ Rights

September 19, 2023
US Authorities Seize Artworks Allegedly Stolen by Nazis

US Authorities Seize Artworks Allegedly Stolen by Nazis

September 19, 2023
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a news conference

Japan PM to Replace Foreign and Defense Ministers: Reports

September 12, 2023
A man walks with his belongings through the rubble in an alleyway in the earthquake-damaged old city in Marrakesh on September 9, 2023

Morocco Quake Death Toll Passes 2,000: Ministry

September 10, 2023
Pro-Trump protester in front of Capitol Hill.

The Ominous (and Irresponsible) Chatter of a Civil War 

September 4, 2023
Police at the site of one of two explosions in Gothenburg

Sweden Rocked by Four Blasts in One Night

August 31, 2023

Opinion

Pro-Trump protester in front of Capitol Hill.

The Ominous (and Irresponsible) Chatter of a Civil War 

September 4, 2023
A bamboo-based design raises family homes safely above water levels to cope with raising water levels in Bangladesh.

The West Owes Climate Refugees Reparations Now

August 14, 2023
President Donald Trump in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House.

Boxing Day Comes to South Florida

July 5, 2023
‘Deaths of Despair:’ Why Are US Suicides on the Rise?

An Inspired Choice to Lead the CDC

June 13, 2023
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Leadership Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 19, 2022.

Florida Man Channels Benito Mussolini

June 13, 2023
Migrants waiting at the Turkish border.

Beyond Numbers: Confronting Europe’s Broken Border System

May 30, 2023
Facebook Twitter

Newsletter

Do you like our reporting?
SUBSCRIBE

About Us

The Globe Post

The Globe Post is part of Globe Post Media, a U.S. digital news organization that is publishing the world's best targeted news sites.

submit oped

© 2018 The Globe Post

No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • World
  • Business
  • Interviews
  • Lifestyle
  • Democracy at Risk
    • Media Freedom
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Columns
    • Book Reviews
    • Stage
  • Submit Op-ed

© 2018 The Globe Post