The strategies pursued by South Korea, Vietnam & China are paying off. As of Nov. 1, the cumulative death rate per million is:
U.S.: 696
U.K.: 685
France: 563
vs.
South Korea: 9
China: 3
Vietnam: 0.36
[Chart shows data correct as of Oct. 30] https://trib.al/X4AUjxs



vs.



[Chart shows data correct as of Oct. 30] https://trib.al/X4AUjxs
The perception of an Asian advantage often falls prey to essentialist thinking: that the East is doing things the West could never do, thanks to profound differences in values, politics and culture, writes @LionelRALaurent.
That’s not necessarily the case http://trib.al/X4AUjxs
That’s not necessarily the case http://trib.al/X4AUjxs
The key to avoiding more lockdowns is finding a way to “live with the virus” through:
Widespread testing
Tracing of contacts
Isolating positive cases
Western countries have made structural, not cultural errors here http://trib.al/X4AUjxs



Western countries have made structural, not cultural errors here http://trib.al/X4AUjxs



These aren’t questions of philosophy but about implementation of policy http://trib.al/X4AUjxs
Compare that with Asia:
South Korea tested early, and often
In Wuhan, 11 million people were tested over 2 weeks
The positive-test rate in South Korea and Vietnam is below 1%, compared to 10% in France and Spain http://trib.al/X4AUjxs



While contact-tracing strategies such as Hong Kong’s geofencing wristbands would spook the average Westerner, Europeans failed to implement alternatives properly.
Between July & August, the number of contacts traced per case in France fell to 2.4 from 4.5 http://trib.al/X4AUjxs
Between July & August, the number of contacts traced per case in France fell to 2.4 from 4.5 http://trib.al/X4AUjxs
China & South Korea’s decision to monitor patients in special centers is worth considering.
Keeping people cooped up at home doesn’t seem much more liberal. It’s also less effective. One study suggests institutional isolation could avert 3x as many cases http://trib.al/X4AUjxs
Keeping people cooped up at home doesn’t seem much more liberal. It’s also less effective. One study suggests institutional isolation could avert 3x as many cases http://trib.al/X4AUjxs
The difference between Asia & Europe is rooted in recent, not ancient history. Over the past 20 years, Asia has been hit with several epidemics, including:
2003 SARS
2015 MERS
These forced countries to invest in public health http://trib.al/X4AUjxs


These forced countries to invest in public health http://trib.al/X4AUjxs
As Europeans enter winter lockdowns, they should remember that improvements are achievable.
If Asia managed to learn from past pandemics, the West should be able to as well http://trib.al/X4AUjxs
If Asia managed to learn from past pandemics, the West should be able to as well http://trib.al/X4AUjxs