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After talking to several friends, I realize many ppl still aren't prepared for the societal impacts of coronavirus. Want to dedicate a thread about what I observed in Chinese society, and what you should be mentally prepared for. It goes beyond the disease itself:
1.Trauma. As @MariaRepnikova said, it's the 1st global epidemic in the era of social media & live-streaming. If the outbreak gets worse, you WILL have extremely helpless moments, witnessing ppl seeking help and some die in a way closer than ever. I saw hundreds online already...
...like this one I tweeted before: https://twitter.com/tony_zy/status/1226194692032864257?s=20
2. Hospital overcapacity. A massive outbreak can strain local medical system. Do u know in China, Wuhan has the second-most medical professionals per 1000 ppl, and the most top tier hospital per 10000 ppl? And w/o sufficient intensive care, coronavirus is far deadlier
3. Secondary disasters. Once the hospital is at capacity, other patients, ppl who depend on prescription drugs, pregnant women, all could face imminent health issues. Here's a man who can't access hiv drugs: https://twitter.com/tony_zy/status/1221033619747147777?s=20
4. Community and cross infection. Coronavirus spread fast across the community. When the adults are all quarantined, who takes care of their children? Another tragedy here: https://www.businessinsider.com/teenager-cerebral-palsy-dies-father-quarantined-suspected-coronavirus-china-2020-2
5. Fake news and alternative medication. This has been going on for a while. In China there's government-endorsed Chinese medicine (very little clinical evidence), and the US shines with Mike Pence's prayers. https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2020/03/05/ny-attorney-general-televangelist-jim-bakker-stop-peddling-unproven-coronavirus-cures/
6. Xenophobia on steroids. In China, it's not just ppl in Wuhan/Hubei who are discriminated against. Ppl in other cities have been sent to quarantine just because they were born in Hubei/Wuhan...
I've seen local WeChat group ppl discriminate against other city districts, neighborhoods or ppl live in a specific building cuz there's someone return from a city that's somewhat close to Hubei
7. And there WILL BE moral quandaries and live trolley problems, sorry. Some ppl try to get away from quarantine because quarantine methods are inhumane and poorly designed, which could increase the chance of infection. But some of those ppl could carry viruses...
Here's something to think before the lockdown: Hr before the Wuhan's ban, many ppl left the city. The abruptly announced lockdown has created its fair share of tragedies--if you were in the city, would u leave? If you were in other cities, would u happily accept those ppl?
8. We're not even getting into the class-related problems yet: homeless ppl, elderlies, house cleaners, restaurant workers, ppl who simply can't work from home...if outbreak gets worse, ppl will either have to risk their lives or lose their jobs--if there's still a job to lose
9. A specifically American problem: It's already difficult enough for undocumented immigrants to get proper medical care. They will face more scrutiny. The society's safety depends on the most vulnerable ppl, but this can also be an opportunity for the already rampant xenophobia
10. Voter turnout. Voter turnout. Voter turnout. This keeps me ups at night.
There will be many other social problems exposed as the outbreak continues. I'll pause here in case u think I'm wearing a tinfoil hat and stirring up fear. Here's a civil database of Chinese ppl who are suffering from coronavirus. Feel free to read it w/ google translation
China's outbreak has its own authoritarianism problems. But for US, the lessons learned from this one-month tragic "preview" should be transparency, accountability, and professionalism. So far Trump administration seems to be allergic to all three concepts https://twitter.com/chenchenzh/status/1230900264971964417?s=20
11. Continuing the thread today. Domestic violence is on the rise as home quarantine affects tens of millions of ppl. (Divorce rate is rising, too.) an excellent article on this: @davidpaulk https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1005253/domestic-violence-cases-surge-during-covid-19-epidemic
12. Some optimism about humanity: The heroic ppl who step in and fight this crisis deserves a new thread. My colleague @Muge_Niu has done a much better job collecting their stories, here you go: https://twitter.com/Muge_Niu/status/1225901324874735617
13. Brace for some of the best tik tok videos you've seen. After weeks of home quarantine, you get creative: https://twitter.com/Jane_Li911/status/1222442126467747840
14. The surge of power vested in "state of emergency". The old man in Tianjin was beaten up by local law enforcement. Such cases happen frequently to poor ppl, for not wearing masks properly or other technicalities. US might see this problem too
15. On the flip side, bureaucracy hurts local gov workers, too. I spoke with multiple local gov workers, and the draconian quarantine approaches actually introduced LOTS of repeated work (house visit for temperature check, paperwork, etc.). Some worked thru the month no day offs
16. Want to highlight one story. A group of LGBT volunteers organized to spare & donate their HIV medication Lopinavir/Ritonavir, which was seen as a potentially effective drug against the virus. Here's an interview w/ organizer 松鼠哥 @inlayterms @glaad https://krcom.cn/1806128454/episodes/2358773:4473311426445363
17. Change of public perception abt health, hygiene and social trust. Bumping my other thread here: why do ppl in China wear masks, even scientifically masks aren’t that essential? It’s a handy tool to signal others abt the outbreak, & build solidarity
https://twitter.com/tony_zy/status/1236048101124816897?s=21 https://twitter.com/tony_zy/status/1236048101124816897
https://twitter.com/tony_zy/status/1236048101124816897?s=21 https://twitter.com/tony_zy/status/1236048101124816897
18. A re-examination of government competence & leadership. Not sure how it will pan out in US and Europe, but in China there's a brief period when investigative journalism boomed & ppl began to challenge the gov & censorship, b/c the outbreak is different in the following ways:
a. Everyone could potentially be a victim. That'd shake some ppl's privilege, especially upper & middle class. b. Gov's stalling strategy won't work on viruses. c. Transparency and media are more urgent than ever. For details, here's my take on BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w172wmxb1b59md0
19. here's a documentary series I make w/ @Muge_Niu: Because China. COVID is a perfect example abt what's in China can inform the world. We have a similar story 6 MONTHS AGO on how lack of transparency & accountability spread African Swine Fever globally https://qz.com/1722187/chinas-swine-fever-outbreak-is-sending-global-meat-prices-soaring/
