World health experts praise China's virus control

A number of world health experts have expressed their support for China's battle against the epidemic caused by novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

If you look at what's happening in Wuhan now, the government authorities in China spent a number of weeks pressuring the virus, and you saw the numbers have dropped away. Now they have engaged in door-to-door surveillance and they are going around doing active surveillance. This is a very good public health practice.

Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme

We did appreciate the speed with which the new coronavirus was identified by Chinese investigators and the unprecedented containment effort which is being conducted.

Franco Servadei, president of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies

It's pretty much unprecedented. No one has attempted something like this in history to my knowledge. In many countries it would be impossible to even try.

Arthur Reingold, epidemiologist at the University of California, Berkeley

While expensive, it's more than worth it. It prevents spread of serious illnesses. And it's far less costly than having to hospitalize many patients who could contract the coronavirus infection.

Lawrence Gostin, expert in public health law and professor at Georgetown University

I am terribly impressed (by China's containment measures). I think more people should be praising China. I am very pleased that the WHO is praising china as well for its huge efforts. We will benefit from that. All the rest of the world will benefit from that.

John Sydney Oxford, virologist and professor of Queen Mary, University of London

As of now, quarantine isolation is the main measure for preventing the spread of the virus. The Chinese government has shut down local passenger transportation in the affected regions.

Pavel Volchkov, head of the Genome Engineering Lab at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology