Covid 19 Environment Impact On Disease And Exposure Prevention Essay

Covid 19 Environment Impact On Disease And Exposure Prevention Essay

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production, either because of the new, as yet unknown disease or because of undetermined
causes that linked to the overall economic environment.11 The domestic consumer market and
service sector now contribute more than half of China’s GDP. However, multiple sectors were
suffering significant demand weakness in the past year, most notably the automotive sector and
smartphones.12 The Chinese government has also been trying to reduce the high level of
domestic indebtedness that has led to less borrowing power for business. In other words, China’s
economy was facing many challenges and was slowing before COVID-19.
Stage Two: Quarantine and Shutdown (January 21, 2020, to February 21, 2020)
Epidemic: Wuhan Is the Epicenter of the Epidemic
On January 30, 2020, the WHO declared the situation a public health emergency of
international concern. Between January and February, there was spread of COVID-19 cases in
all 31 provinces of mainland China. Wuhan was the epicenter of the epidemic, with 83 percent of
all the cases and 95 percent of the deaths in China on February 21.13 Wuhan’s COVID-19 cases
also showed a 100-fold infection rate (per million population) and a four-times-higher CFR (4.2
percent), compared with those in other areas in China. Total Chinese reported case numbers
increased from 309 on January 21, 2020, to 76,392 on February 21, 2020.14
By February 13, 2020, the WHO had recorded 170 cases of COVID-19 that had been
reported outside China and had a connection to China. The majority of these cases (89 percent)
did not lead to further transmission of the virus, and 19 cases were associated with at least four
new infection clusters. The largest cluster involved 20 individuals in six countries.15
China’s Actions
The decision to lock down Wuhan on January 23, 2020, was made three days after the
government accepted the fact that the outbreak was fueled by person-to-person transmission. All
public transportation, including airports and railways from the city, were shut down two days
before the Chinese New Year. On January 28, 16 more cities in the same province (Hubei) were
under a similar lockdown policy. By January 29, all 31 provinces in China declared emergency
level 1 (the highest out of four levels), which enabled local governments to employ social
policing mechanisms to enforce self-quarantine, cancel public events, and prohibit crowd
11 Earth Observatory, NASA, “Airborne Nitrogen Dioxide Plummets Over China,” webpage, February 2020
(https://www.earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146362/airborne-nitrogen-dioxide-plummets-over-china). 12 McKinsey, “What Can We Expect in China in 2020?” December 2019 (https://www.mckinsey.com/featuredinsights/china/what-can-we-expect-in-china-in-2020). 13 World Health Organization, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Situation Report—33, February 22, 2020
(https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200222-sitrep-33-covid19.pdf?sfvrsn=c9585c8f_4).
14 World Health Organization, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Situation Report—33, February 22, 2020;
World Health Organization, Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV): Situation Report—2, January 22, 2020
(https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200122-sitrep-2-2019-
ncov.pdf?sfvrsn=4d5bcbca_2). Covid 19 Environment Impact On Disease And Exposure Prevention Essay
15 World Health Organization, Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV): Situation Report—24, February 13, 2020
(https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200213-sitrep-24-covid19.pdf?sfvrsn=9a7406a4_4).
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gatherings across the country. Most of the highways, railroads, and flights in China were shut
down, and people were asked to stay home as much as possible. All tour groups were canceled.
In rural areas, most villages in China closed traffic and set entrance checks. In the cities,
residential areas were divided into small districts where residents had to show ID, and a daily
quota was set to go in and out of the area. All business and recreational facilities, except grocery
stores, were closed during the extended Chinese New Year period. All residents were required to
wear face masks outdoors. Meanwhile, given the concentration and the severity of the COVID19 cases in Wuhan, the Chinese government mobilized resources, medical personnel, public
health teams, and testing kit productions to support Wuhan.
Internationally, countries have placed various levels of restrictions on travel to and from
China. As of February 19, international restrictions to China involved 99 countries in