No other country has as much experience handling the coronavirus as China does. It is important to use this knowledge, even if not all of it can be applied in Germany, says Frank Sieren.
Image: Imago/L. He
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After weeks of tension and fear, the coronavirus seems to be subsiding in China. Last weekend, more people were discharged from hospital than were admitted with the coronavirus. On Tuesday, 125 confirmed cases of infection were reported. That's the lowest figure since January.
In the rest of the world, the infection continues to spread. Last week, there were more new cases outside of China than within. There are some 200 confirmed cases in Germany, and it is not always possible to follow the chain of transmission. The first case in Berlin was discovered only by chance. As at the beginning of the outbreak in China, there is an atmosphere of uncertainty at the moment in Germany. Disinfectants and surgical face masks have sold out. People have been stocking up on supplies.
Various major events have been canceled or postponed, including the International Tourism Fair (ITB) and the Leipzig Book Fair. The Health Ministry has recommended that people no longer shake hands to greet each other.
Nobody is yet speaking about lockdowns or shutting down public transport systems to contain the virus; there are too few cases at the moment to warrant such moves, even if they were logistically and ethically possible. There is still no screening at train stations, airports or shopping malls.
In Italy, where there are far more cases than in Germany, the authorities have looked to China for ways of dealing with the crisis. Following this Chinese model, whole Italian municipalities have been sealed off from the outside world without further ado.
The World Health Organization does not seem to think that Beijing's measures so far have been too drastic. A recent report submitted after a mission organized by the WHO and the Chinese government to study the state of the virus notes that "China has rolled out perhaps the most ambitious, agile" and aggressive disease containment effort in history."
It also suggested that the world could learn from China's handling of the virus but that much of the international community was not ready "in mindset and materially, to implement the measures" employed by Beijing.
The streets of Wuhan, the origin of the epidemic, are practically deserted because of a lockdown Image: Li Ling
Indeed, in Europe, most of the population would not appreciate such restrictions to their freedom; the current mood could turn to anger instead. This also applies to the area of data protection: In China, South Korea and Hong Kong, citizens can follow where there has been an outbreak of the virus in their neighborhood via app. This would not work in the EU, where there are strict regulations to protect individuals' private spheres.
It would also be virtually impossible to seal off whole housing blocks as has been done in China, where people often live in compounds with building superintendents. In Europe, there are also no neighborhood committees that could ensure people wear their masks and measure their temperatures. These committees have existed in China since the 1950s and are supposed to "keep order," which can also involve spying and surveillance (though arguably much less than during the Cultural Revolution). Anything vaguely similar would be rejected by most citizens of Germany or Europe, whether or not there is an epidemic.
Germany has the advantage of having a better health system than China and higher hygiene standards generally. It is also less densely populated than China. Nonetheless, the German government has to think seriously about whether it is in a position to cope if there is a major virus epidemic now or in the future. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, some 25,000 hospital beds in Germany can currently be turned into isolation rooms if need be. There are also 28,000 beds with ventilation systems. This is a good start compared to certain other EU countries.
However, there could be a shortage of protective clothing, such as masks, gloves and suits, such as those recently seen in Chinese hospitals. So the government has introduced measures to increase production in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.
Protective masks are sold out in many cities in Europe, like this one in RomeImage: Getty Images/AFP/A. Pizzoli
Speed is China's strength
What China has shown is that speed is crucial. WHO epidemiologist Bruce Aylward recently told reporters that "the key learning from China is speed — it's all about the speed. The faster you can find the cases, isolate the cases and track their close contacts, the more successful you're going to be.”
This means having access to data, however: from passenger names on flights, to event participants and footage from surveillance cameras in the subway. And whether authorities should access such data is a contentious issue in Germany.
To isolate mild cases, "shelter hospitals" could make sense. In Wuhan, people with mild symptoms have been quarantined and treated in makeshift hospitals in gyms and barracks for example, so that beds in intensive care units and other resources are not squandered. In this way, it has been possible to reduce the danger of infecting other family members as can occur during quarantine at home. But this enforced external quarantine is also an infringement of individual freedom, and in Europe, people are not likely to voluntarily allow themselves to be quartered in such locations.
DW columnist Frank SierenImage: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Tirl
China is also faster when it comes to testing for coronavirus. In China it now takes between four and seven hours to confirm whether symptoms correspond to the coronavirus, while in Germany it can still take up to 24 hours at least, not all insurance companies will automatically pay for the test. Even with regard to travel restrictions, Europe is still being very hesitant in comparison with China.
Digital infrastructure important
The situation in South Korea and China has shown how important a digital infrastructure can be in such times of crisis. In both countries, people are remaining in contact thanks to the internet, as well as keeping themselves informed and entertained. Gyms are providing online fitness courses. Schools are teaching pupils online. Delivery apps continue to function, so people can still have food and medicine brought to their homes, even if customers no longer accept deliveries at the door but fetch them from the outer fences surrounding apartment complexes.
Panic and hysteria make no sense in such a time of crisis, whether in Germany or elsewhere in Europe. But it would do no harm to reflect on which of the measures China has implemented might be adapted to Europe.
After all, in a globalized world, the next virus is just around the corner.
The Bayreuth Festival canceled
Concerts, exhibitions and festivals worldwide have been called off due to the corona crisis. Now the Bayreuth Festival 2020 has been canceled as well.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Karmann
All quiet on the Wagnerian front
An older audience packed in close quarters in a sweltering theater: for virus transmission, a horrific scenario. The Bayreuth Festival 2020 has been called off, for the first time in its 144-year history due to an epidemic. Rehearsals for the new production of the opera cycle "The Ring of the Nibelung" were to begin on April 1 - but now, the "Ring" can only premiere in 2022 at the earliest.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Karmann
Berlin's major events
A day after Berlin announced that performances in major state-owned venues were to be canceled until April 19, city authorities have banned all events with more than 1,000 participants as well. "The coronavirus continues to spread. In such a phase, public life must be restricted," Berlin's local Health Minister Dilek Kalayci said.
Image: picture-alliance/imageBROKER/P. Seyfferth
Madonna and other concerts
Many major concerts have been canceled, including Madonna's last two dates of her "Madame X" tour in Paris. France has banned on Sunday public gatherings of more than 1,000 people. The Paris Opera has also canceled its performances.
Image: Getty Images/M. Campanella
St. Patrick's Day in Ireland
All Irish St. Patrick's Day parades, including Dublin's main celebration that draws around
500,000 revelers from all over the world each year, are canceled because of fears over the spread of COVID-19, state broadcaster RTE reported on Monday. Ireland's famous March 17 parades were also previously canceled in 2001 during an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/P. Morrison
Vatican museums
With quarantine measures in place in northern Italy, soccer matches occurring without spectators, and Italian Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte's order to close museums, theaters and cinemas, it should come as no surprise that the Vatican has closed the doors to its museums, including the Sistine Chapel (above), until probably April 3. In the Vatican itself, five people are currently in quarantine.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Stache
South by Southwest (SXSW)
This annual music, film and tech festival held in Austin, Texas, usually attracts more than 400,000 visitors. But less than a week before its March 12, 2020 start date, organizers decided to cancel in a bid to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus. There's a silver lining though: it may only be postponed and not canceled altogether.
The International Film Academy has announced that it would be postponing its awards ceremony, also known as Bollywood's Oscars, due to fears over the coronavirus outbreak. According to official numbers, India has been until now relatively unscathed by the epidemic. Actor Shah Rukh Khan (photo) was one the stars expected at the event planned for March 27; a new date has not been decided yet.
Image: AFP/Getty Images/S. Jaiswal
'No Time to Die'
James Bond perhaps has a little more time on his hands than the title of the upcoming film in the franchise suggests: "No Time to Die" producers have decided to push back the release of the movie to November. Daniel Craig's last outing as 007 was initially planned for April. It's the first Hollywood blockbuster to shift its release schedule in reaction to the coronavirus outbreak.
Image: Imago Images/Zuma Press/MGM
Venice Architecture Biennale
The start of the world's most prestigious architecture biennale has also been delayed. Instead of opening in May, it will run from August 29 to November 29 — three months later than planned. The theme of the event takes on a new meaning amid current developments: "How do we live together?"
Image: picture-alliance/S. Lubenow
London Book Fair
Due to take place March 10-12, the book fair was canceled "with reluctance," said organizers, after several major publishers such as HarperCollins and Penguin Random House pulled out of the event to avoid exposing their staff to the virus. The London Book Fair usually draws more than 25,000 authors and book industry insiders.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/C. De Souza
Musikmesse Frankfurt
Europe's biggest trade fair for the music industry also announced that it was postponing the event, which was set to celebrate its 40th anniversary on April 2-4. While it was deemed to be "the only responsible and right decision to take," the cancellation is bound to affect many small businesses in the music industry, said Christian Höppner, secretary general of the German Music Council.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Sommer
Leipzig Book Fair
Change of plans for book fans: The Leipzig Book Fair, scheduled to be held March 12-15, was canceled due to the spread of the new coronavirus, a spokesperson for the fair announced on March 3. The second-largest book fair in Germany expected to draw 2,500 exhibitors from 51 countries.
Image: Stiftung Buchkunst/Carolin Blöink
ITB Travel Trade Show Berlin
Preparations for the world's largest travel fair were already in full swing when the organizers canceled it at the last minute. Due to the ongoing virus threat, participants to the Berlin fair had to prove they had not been to one of the defined risk areas. With 170,000 visitors from all over the world, this proved to be an impossible task and the fair couldn't open on March 4 as planned.
Image: Imago/V. Hohlfeld
Milan Design Week
Each April, thousands of design professionals, artists and companies visit Milan to check out the latest in furniture and interior design. This year, however, organizers have announced it will be moved to June due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Milan is the capital of the Lombardy region, which has seen the lion's share of Italian coronivirus cases. Some airlines have even suspended their flights.
Image: Phillip K. Smith
La Scala opera house
There is perhaps no venue more symbolic of Italy's rich operatic tradition than the La Scala opera house in Milan. Now, its seats will remain empty until March 8. Italy's Prime Minister called for the suspension of cultural events and the venue is sticking to the rules. At the time of writing, Italy has more cases of the new coronavirus than any country outside of Asia.
Image: AP
K-pop concerts
The reigning K-pop boy band BTS does big business with each concert, but in the wake of the virus in South Korea, the group canceled four April dates at the Seoul Olympic Stadium, which seats 69,950 people. "It's impossible to predict the scale of the outbreak," said the group's management. On Tuesday, cases in South Korea reached 5,100 with the majority of infections in the city of Daegu.
Image: Facebook/BTS Official
'Mission Impossible'
No, we aren't describing the task of containing the new coronavirus, but rather the new movie starring Tom Cruise which was supposed to have a three-week shoot in Venice. The film has been postponed, movie studio Paramount Pictures said Monday. Venice's cultural events have been hard hit by the outbreak. The final two days of lagoon city's annual Carnival festival were also canceled.
On February 28, the Swiss government imposed a ban on events of more than 1,000 people until March 15, making it the first European country to do so as a preemptive measure to fight against the spread of the illness. As a result, many concerts and events were called off, including concerts by Carlos Santana (pictured) and Alice Cooper at the 15,000-person Hellenstadion in Zürich.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
The Hamburg Ballet
The Hamburg Ballet John Neumeier canceled guest performances in Macau and Singapore due to the coronavirus outbreak. On the program were "The Lady of the Camellias," which tells the story of a famous Parisian courtesan and "Nijinsky." Whether the tour will take place at another point in time is still in the air. In spring 2021 the Hamburg Ballet plans to tour in Japan.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Scholz
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Frank Sieren has lived in Beijing for over 20 years
