What Vienna Can Learn from Wuhan

Lifestyle & TravelHealth ♦ Published: February 29, 2020; 13:34 ♦ (Vindobona)

The Chinese authorities learned from the SARS crisis of 2003-2004 and acted quickly and decisively to contain the threat of the new COVID-19 virus to public health. The rapidly increasing number of cases of infection has put enormous strain on the local health system. An unprecedented rescue mission of a population six times the size of Vienna and a nationwide campaign against the epidemic began. Since the end of February, the number of confirmed new cases in Wuhan has been declining.

Quarantine of Wuhan, a mega city with a population six times that of Vienna. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / AndrewHorne at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

As the Chinese New Year approached, a threat to public health was felt.

Wuhan, a metropolis with 11 million inhabitants in the central Chinese province of Hubei, became the epicentre of a new coronavirus.

On 23 January the Chinese authorities imposed quarantine on Wuhan, a transport hub with a population six times that of Vienna, in order to keep the disease under control.

The rapidly increasing number of cases of infection has put enormous strain on the local health system. An unprecedented rescue mission and a nationwide campaign against the epidemic began.

The first contingents of medical teams from outside Hubei arrived on Chinese New Year. Meanwhile, Chinese companies were ordered to build a hospital with 1,000 beds within 10 days. Work on another facility with 1,300 beds began two days later.

Since then, eight top Chinese research leaders, including Zhong Nanshan, an experienced respiratory specialist, have led research groups to guide the control and treatment of the disease in Wuhan.

After the total number of confirmed cases in Wuhan exceeded 5,000 at the beginning of February, the authorities in Wuhan began converting sports and exhibition facilities into makeshift hospitals capable of handling mild cases.

Additional reinforcements of medical staff continued to arrive in the provincial capital. On February 9 alone, 6,000 medical personnel landed at Wuhan airport.

The Chinese government called on 19 other provinces, cities and regions to send medical personnel to affected cities in Hubei.

When the total number of confirmed cases in the city exceeded 20,000, the Chinese Air Force sent cargo planes carrying 1,400 army medical personnel.

Over the past month, China has sent more than 330 medical teams with a total of 41,600 medical professionals to the province.

More than 3,000 nurses have been infected with coronavirus during the mission and over 20 have succumbed to the disease.

To overcome a shortage of protective suits, masks and other medical supplies, Chinese manufacturers from a number of industries have been mobilized, including those that usually produce automobiles and mobile phones.

Tens of thousands of new beds for patients were provided with the opening of two new specialized hospitals, 13 makeshift facilities and other quarantine sites.

Towards the end of February, the number of confirmed new cases in Wuhan began to decline, in line with a nationwide trend of decreasing new infections.

Throughout China's fight against COVID-19, Chinese scientists and health authorities have worked closely with other countries and the World Health Organization (WHO) to share their experience with international colleagues.

WHO has expressed its appreciation for China's efforts in preventing and controlling the disease. "China's efforts have bought the world time, even though these steps have cost China more," said the WHO Director-General.

The Vienna City Government (in coordination with the Austrian Federal Government) should set an example by immediately informing the population more strongly and more precisely and by implementing corresponding concrete measures.