Covid-19 Observations on China and West
What did China do well and poorly and what did the West do well and poorly? Graphs from here.
China’s gaps
China covered up the beginnings from the start until now. They caused havoc for the world and concern for the future.
China covered up its development of vaccines. It is a kind of a black box.
Result is Chinese people do not trust the vaccine that China produced. Very few people get vaccinated until more recently. They also see little need for a vaccine as little virus risk in China. So without a clear record on the vaccine, not many people will get the shots. Most people who do get it in China had no choice like the military and government workers and even college students.
When Brazil published some data on the China vaccines that were not as positive, very little open discussion occurred. It was about politics and not science somehow. See also China 5000 years different than the West.
China’s strengths
Chinese people worked together with great discipline to wear masks and avoid crowds and keep distance. The people did so well and everyone followed, so the virus could be controlled in about 2 months time.
When some cases show up again, the response is swift and overwhelming, The virus has little hope in China. You cannot blame China for causing more and more variants to appear. They never gave it a chance here.
Gaps in The West
The West emphasized personal freedom so much that mask wearing and social; distancing were spotty at best.
The West did not learn from China’s great success but instead suffers endlessly with the virus. A year later people still need to wear masks and social distance.
The West split into pro and con camps on mask wearing, and it became a political choice and not a choice of group caring or health.
Strengths in the West
The West uses an open system to develop the vaccines that builds trust in the process. Problems with vaccines are openly discussed and publicized.
Any company could pursue vaccine development. Many worked on it, and the best came forth. The best vaccines came from the West as a result. One of the best vaccines (Moderma) came from cancer researchers. This kind of freedom worked well in vaccine development.
China and the West are different as this real world event shows. Cover ups are a Chinese trait, and it can cost your company a lot of money just like it cost the world in this case. Their group cohesion can be a great asset when you get the right people on your team. Or a disaster when the wrong influencers weasel onto the team.