Taipei Times
Date: Feb 01, 2020
By: Ted Yoho

The world is seeing the emergence of another health crisis originating in China. Exact details regarding the exposure, virulence and mortality rates of the disease remain unclear. The lack of transparency from Chinese officials has only worsened the spread of a virus that does not discriminate based on ethnicity, nationality or political beliefs.

Rapid diagnosis and open collaboration on information sharing is crucial in preventing the early spread of new epidemics. Governments need all hands on deck to keep populations safe from disease. This kind of collaboration was present with past outbreaks, such as when SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) emerged on the world stage.

In 2002, Chinese officials stalled their reporting in the wake of the SARS epidemic emerging in China. Eventually, the world learned that more than 8,000 people contracted this disease and nearly 800 people died from it. This new coronavirus is on track to surpass that number.

We learned that the rate of SARS transmission was worsened by deception and incompetence on the part of the People’s Republic of China. It is essential that the US bring every capable world health partner into the conversation for keeping harmful diseases from the country’s shores.
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