Detailed tracking of patients helpful, but privacy paramount

As the fight against the novel coronavirus deepens, local authorities have been stepping up efforts to curb its spread. Daily local government reports on the epidemic play a key role in this regard.

Since Jan 27, the National Health Commission has been holding daily news briefings to provide updates on the epidemic prevention and control situation. Local authorities then update the number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases and the epidemic situation in local areas. These daily reports, especially about the whereabouts and movement of people with confirmed infections, are crucial to curbing the spread of the epidemic by isolating those who might have been exposed to infection.

Many local authorities have released details of the movements of coronavirus patients, especially when and where they took public transport. This helps warn those who might have come into contact with them. Flight numbers, train numbers, seat numbers and specific subway lines or buses used by patients have been published by the media.

There are also websites where people can check if a mass transport facility they used had any confirmed cases. In Tianjin, confirmed patients' detailed movement tracking is accurate to within an hour, helping local authorities to zero in and prevent and control the outbreak.

Such detailed movement tracking of confirmed cases is not only helping the public, but also other regions' authorities in their prevention and control work, as many people have moved between regions during the Spring Festival holiday.

Such a transparent information disclosure mechanism is also conducive to fighting rumors.

But the authorities must also protect the privacy of people confirmed to have been infected. Releasing their movement track is necessary for the sake of public health, but detailed personal information, such as the patients' identity and residential address, should not be released in order to protect their legal rights and shield them from discrimination.

Society should be aware that the fight is against the novel coronavirus, not those it infects.

 - Wang Yiqing, China Daily