People are frustrated and frustrated with a series of challenges
Jia Ruiling’s father has terminal stomach cancer. He has been suffering from severe pain since March 17, but cannot receive treatment because the hospital refuses to accept it because Jia’s neighborhood in Shanghai is implementing social distancing.
“We repeatedly begged the hospitals to accept my father. There was a time when he was in so much pain that he couldn’t think. What should we do? Please send these words to the authorities“, Jia Ruiling shared on the media.
Many inadequacies
China’s strict “Zero Covid” policy means that all positive cases require hospitalization. But in the past few weeks, the number of infections has increased sharply, forcing more than 26 million people in China’s most important financial center – Shanghai to tighten epidemic prevention measures.
For the first time, the number of cases increased to 10,000 cases. Although 38,000 medical staff across the country have been deployed to assist, it is still difficult for ordinary patients like Jia’s father to be treated.
Luo Ruixiang, a 39-year-old Chinese worker, is in a similar situation. He flew home in March hoping to receive emergency treatment after his left eye was severely damaged,
Mr. Ruixiang returned to Shanghai, informed the hotel where he was quarantined and the local government of his urgent medical need. But, for more than a week, he did not receive any response. The man sadly said:I’m afraid that if I wait until the end of the gap, I will go blind“.
There have been many inadequacies that happened when Shanghai fought the Covid-19 epidemic.
Desperate, Mr. Luo took to Weibo – China’s largest social network – to beg for help. After that, the local media quickly contacted and provided medical assistance in a timely manner. Fortunately, his eye surgery went smoothly. The man shared:It shouldn’t be that complicated, but for ordinary people like us, it’s very difficult“.
The outbreak of the Omicron variant in Shanghai is the biggest challenge for the Chinese government’s “Zero Covid” policy. On Monday (April 4), health authorities reported 8,581 asymptomatic infections and 425 symptomatic cases in the previous 24 hours. This number is lower than in countries like the UK and the US, but it is a worrying number in China since the disease was detected in Wuhan in 2019.
Critics say Shanghai should have been better prepared. Jia stressed she is not opposed to the government but the pain her father endured makes her “very angry”.
Chen Xi, a public health expert at the Yale School of Public Health, said:Both viruses and people are changing. This is the first time the sub-variant of Omicron – BA.2, hits Shanghai. The rate of transmission is unprecedented, far beyond the ability to trace and normal public health measures. Almost all the people are tired of the epidemic after more than 2 years of strict health measures“.
Helpless and frustrated
Helplessness is a common situation of people in China’s largest city when it comes to social distancing. Over the weekend, photos and videos of children being separated from their parents at a Shanghai hospital sparked outrage online. One parent whose child was placed in isolation after testing positive wrote: “I am very disappointed!“.
On March 31, several European Union diplomats from Shanghai sent a letter to the city government, asking to assist citizens when they need medical help. Diplomats also called on Shanghai not to separate children from their parents “under any circumstances”.
But health officials have remained adamant about the policy, despite a growing number of parents expressing their displeasure online. Wu Qianyu, an official from Shanghai’s municipal health department, said the policy was essential for efforts to prevent and control the epidemic.
The children were separated from their parents during the epidemic season.
After the above criticisms, the government recently acknowledged and apologized when the disease control work was not effective. Despite the government’s apology, some residents say the situation has not improved.
Deng Zhaoyan – government quarantine facility worker said: “The quarantine facility seems to have no one in charge, only volunteers operating. We do not know when they will be able to return home, nor who will test them for Covid“.
Deng Zhaoyan moved to Shanghai many years ago, sharing that in the past few years everything has been normal, only other areas are struggling with the epidemic. He never thought something like this would happen in Shanghai.
“Before the Omicron variant, the sick person needs to go to the quarantine facility for testing. But now most people have only mild symptoms. Governments need to review their policies”, added Deng Zhaoyan.
Some medical professionals also expressed disappointment. Last week, in a phone call that took place online at home and abroad, an official at the Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the city’s medical resources were facing a number of challenges. tremendous pressure.
Medical staff test Covid for people in Changning district, Shanghai.
This person said:I have repeatedly suggested to senior officials that people with mild symptoms and no symptoms should only isolate at home.“. At the same time, she added that current efforts to control the epidemic are mainly political. However, some netizens consider her views to be false and unreliable.
It is important in other parts of China right now to ramp up vaccination practices and rates before new local variants are detected. Currently, the Chinese military has dispatched more than 2,000 medical staff to Shanghai to help limit the spread of the disease.
“Unsustainable”
Jin Dong-yan, a professor at the University of Hong Kong’s school of biomedical sciences, predicts it will take several weeks for the virus to be brought under control. “Even if the government successfully implements the Zero Covid policy, there is no guarantee that we will not face a wave of other mutations… Living with the epidemic is the most viable option.“, said Jin Dong-yan.
However, to implement this option, an effective vaccine is needed. In recent months, officials have taken a more positive attitude toward mRNA vaccines. This could be a sign that authorities have been thinking about adopting vaccines other than the Chinese-made Sinopharm and Sinovac.
Dr. Zhong Nanshan, the country’s leading respiratory expert, said in December that China should learn from the good things in other countries, such as an mRNA vaccine. In an official document, the Shanghai government also said it supported the import of Covid vaccines and drugs.
The people of Shanghai are facing many difficulties and challenges because of the Covid-19 epidemic.
Medical expert Chen said: “Rapid test deployment and mRNA vaccine approval are both possible. There are many bases and data for competent authorities to approve mRNA vaccines as well as mass production of rapid test kits.“. He also added that the low vaccination rates among the elderly and the vaccine technology being used in China are “disturbing”.
He said: “Time is running out. It is important for other regions in China that the authorities need to learn and increase vaccination before this variant breaks out in their region.“.
For Jia, the idea of living with the “flood” seems far-fetched, as she just hopes her father will be taken to a cancer hospital as soon as possible. “My dad’s pain has eased with pain medication over the past few days, but this is not a sustainable solution. He still needs to be treated”, she said.
Since Jia shared about her father’s illness online last week, she said the story has attracted media attention. Perhaps because of too much pressure, the local authorities contacted to help bring her father to the hospital for treatment.
“However, they have a request. They wanted me to take down all my posts, but I refused. In the end, they were not able to take my father to the cancer hospital. The reason is that the district-level agency can’t convince the city-level establishment”, she said.
Source: The Guardian
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