Countries should not dilly-dally in taking action to contain virus

With the novel coronavirus quickly spreading to 101 countries within a few weeks and infecting more than 105,586 people in total, of whom 3,584 have died as of Saturday, it should suffice to awaken countries that if they continue to think there's nothing they can do, it will quickly become a self-fulfilling prophecy, as the World Health Organization has warned.

If there is a silver lining to the dark clouds the virus has gathered around the world, it is that the epidemic can be pushed back, as the Herculean efforts of countries such as China and the Republic of Korea have proved.

It is therefore worrying that some countries, particularly some developed ones, are still taking a wait-and-see or let-it-be approach to the epidemic, so that public panic can be avoided and their economies can be sustained, when it has been shown that the earlier and more resolute the response is, the more effectively the virus can be contained.

Although it is often claimed that China is preoccupied with economic growth to the exclusion of all else, the fact that it has sought to minimize the flow of production factors without hesitation to contain the epidemic－with the government still maintaining a tight rein even though the epidemic situation in the country has been displaying a positive trend－should drive home the message that such measures are crucial, and how imperative it is that the decision is made to adopt them at the earliest date. As the adage advises, grinding the axe will not hold up the work of cutting firewood.

That 1,492 new cases were reported in Italy on Sunday, where the mortality rate is about 5 percent, nearly three times that in China, should serve to alert countries that slack and belated measures are no measures, and only aggressiveness, preparedness and strong political commitment can make a difference.

The Italian government's decision to lock down the north of the country, home to 16 million people, which was also announced on Sunday, indicates the country now realizes how serious the situation is.

The high-income countries should not count on their developed healthcare systems and advantages in technology and governance to bail them out of trouble, as the virus is highly contagious and its spread can soon overwhelm a country's existing public healthcare system and exhaust supplies of protective items, such as face masks and biohazard suits.

Although coordinated and comprehensive measures are needed to control the spread of the virus, there are still some developed countries that cannot rid themselves of their habit of trying to pass the buck to others at this special juncture, ignoring the fact that time is running out before they too will have to deal with a rapid rise in the number of infections.

It is the gap between the political will and the measures being taken that the virus is taking advantage of. If the world does not act in concert, the epidemic will evolve into a long-term threat to global public health.