Society pulls together to cope with outbreak of epidemic

The country's biggest annual traditional celebration, Spring Festival, was interrupted this year.

An epidemic has claimed 908 lives and sickened at least 40,000 people on the Chinese mainland since its outbreak in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, in December, according to the National Health Commission's latest data.

The new coronavirus has also infected more than 300 people in two dozen countries, with one death reported last week.

The previously unknown strain, which does not have a common name yet and is referred to as 2019-nCov (n for novel) by the World Health Organization, causes a pneumonia-like disease. The virus belongs to a family of pathogens that resemble crowns when viewed under the microscope, hence "corona".

In China, society has come together to battle the contagion. Medics are working around the clock, volunteers are spreading awareness about containment efforts and the public's response is helping. Most people are wearing face masks when outside their homes. An elementary but necessary measure.

Experts have warned of a surge in cases of infection in coming days when millions return to work after an extended Spring Festival break.

In this part of the world, the news is mainly about the epidemic, overshadowing Brexit and American politics. Chinese media are reporting from the frontline hospitals, and the country's social media platforms are flooded with photos and videos posted by netizens.

The resilience of the Chinese people is visible in things big and small. Undefeated by the grimness of the situation, the wry Chinese sense of humor prevails in memes: two people in protective hazmat suits participating in a ballet competition or someone wearing multiple face masks ("you can't be too sure").

Some initial reactions were emotional. The video of a burly man sitting at the outpost of his village－to prevent visitors from entering－was widely shared on Sina Weibo. In another video, a middle-aged couple in a rural setting are seen aiming shovels at relatives, who came bearing new year gifts, to chase them away.

In big cities in China, face masks, hand sanitizers and disinfectants became hot items at supermarkets and small shops with people buying them in bulk. Some rushed to pharmacies to buy traditional Chinese medicine, others spoke of a mask shortage at stores in the United States as well.

There were reports of xenophobic comments against Chinese people similar to what Africans had experienced after the Ebola outbreaks. But the discrimination was not just abroad. Some hotels in China refused accommodation to people from Hubei, fueling a stigma.

The top WHO official, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has urged the body's 196 member countries to "invest in preparedness", not "panic", according to media reports from Geneva.

In China, drones spotted an elderly woman without a mask and a group playing mahjong in the open. The traffic police used cameras to alert pedestrians without masks.

In the country's expat community, some wanted to stay, some wanted to leave－until it became difficult to do the latter as flights were canceled by many foreign airlines.

Prevention is better than cure, especially when a known cure does not exist. While researchers are trying to develop a vaccine, it could take months for clinical trials to establish its effectiveness. Meanwhile, owing to their immunity and the use of experimental medicines, more than 3,000 patients have recovered, health officials say.