The war on the virus? Hossam Badrawi

The war on the virus? Hossam Badrawi

In our previous interview with young people, we mentioned different models that countries of the world have taken in combating the spread of the new Corona virus epidemic, so what is the most successful country in confronting this epidemic, and in protecting its population?! Within the framework of balancing the country’s economic interest with respect for the people’s right to life.

I said: I think it’s South Korea. Its multiple experiences in confronting epidemics and stopping their spread…must be studied! Its efforts have begun since the outbreak of the SARS-1 epidemic in 2002-2003, which caused the deaths of many Koreans. Then she returned and applied her innovative preventive method with the epidemic of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2015, to completely eliminate it within only two months, and no more!

My dear friend, the distinguished scientist, Dr. Osama Hamdy, a professor at Harvard University, said that South Korea realized early on that when a new epidemic appeared.. the world would not be able to discover a vaccine for it, or find a treatment in a timely and sufficient quantity (as is the case now!) and decided instead to invest its money In developing its capabilities for rapid diagnosis, and the production of a large amount of rapid analyzes that determine the number of infected cases with extreme accuracy, and in a short period.. which enabled it to conduct 15,000 analyzes per day! Whereas, in mid-March, the United States conducted 74 analyzes for every million people… Korea conducted 5,200 analyzes for every million citizens! This enabled it to monitor and accurately account for most of the infected cases.

It also invested in the production of protective clothing and masks. Therefore, it was easy for her government to advise all members of the Korean people to wear masks inside and outside their homes… while other countries stumbled in providing sufficient masks for their people, or even meeting the needs of their health sector!

.. The state also obligated all the infected and those in contact with them .. to download an application, on their mobile phones, which it had prepared in advance, that uses the tracking feature, and through which it sends an alarm signal if a person moves outside his home, during the period of “home isolation”. In this case, a fine of $2,500 will be imposed on him, for violating the impeachment order. I also asked them to record the symptoms of the disease twice a day through the application, so I was able to follow up remotely, and quickly intervene to transfer patients to hospitals if necessary.

Korea has succeeded in rapidly declining the number of cases of COVID-19 from 900 cases per day in the peak stage of the spread… to only 74 cases… without resorting to stopping normal life activities, as is happening in Europe and the United States of America now. Its economy was affected only slightly.

As you know, South Korea is known to be one of the world’s most invested countries in the fields of education and technology. So it was easy for the community to follow the instructions accurately and firmly, and to communicate effectively with the health services. The result is that the death rate in Korea, out of the total number of cases, did not exceed 1.5%, which is one of the lowest rates in the world! Perhaps all countries of the world will learn in the future from this successful Korean experience!!

The young man said: My colleagues and I are in a state of confusion, Doctor! We read a lot..and sometimes we are surprised by the implications of global statistics and numbers!

I said: What is it that confuses you?!

His colleague said: Always remind us, our professor, of scientific standards, and the necessity of agreeing on definitions when we discuss… so that the dialogue is effective. So we want to start by defining an epidemic.

I said: Well done. Perhaps the definition is an entry point to confirm or dispel your confusion and fear!

First of all, the announcement of the emergence of an epidemic means the strong spread of a specific infectious disease in a specific region of the world, whether it is one country, or more than one neighboring country in one geographical area, and it has nothing to do with changes in the characteristics of this disease. If the infectious disease spreads in more than one geographical area, and more than one continent… it becomes a pandemic.

Hence, according to the World Health Organization, an epidemic is declared “when a new disease spreads, to which people do not enjoy immunity, in all parts of the world, exceeding expectations.”

On the other hand, the epidemic is a sudden increase in disease cases or a disease that may be unique to one country or one community.

The pessimistic young woman said: The final say – as I read – regarding the outbreak of a disease… a global epidemic… is left in the hands of the World Health Organization, and there is no specification for a specific number of deaths or injuries, or for the number of affected countries that must be met… so that an announcement can be made. About the epidemic! This leaves a political space in what is published, in which factors that may not be related to the disease intervene, but are linked to creating a state of panic and fear, and the effects and profits that follow for some, and losses for others. One of the reasons for declaring the outbreak of the disease and describing it as an epidemic may be the arrival of the disease and its spread among what is known as the “critical mass.” And then he must start dealing with him seriously!

Her quarrelsome colleague said: Oh Dr. Hossam.. The number of children infected with pneumonia in the world is estimated at two children per minute, while the number of deaths due to pneumonia annually reaches more than one million children, and about 300 thousand adults. Also, the number of new cases of tuberculosis is calculated per minute, and the number of deaths reaches more than 1.5 million deaths annually. The only difference is that infections occur mostly in developing countries, and the disease does not reach Europe or the United States at the same rates. Otherwise, we would have seen what we are witnessing now with the emerging corona virus!

And let me remind you… that all the noise that accompanied AIDS did not happen as a result of the death of millions of people in Africa… Rather, it happened after it started spreading in the countries of Europe and the United States!!

There is something not right that we see, and the mind perceives..but we cannot lay our hands on it!!

I said: Yes, you have it

s in doubts. But.. this is a controversy in my opinion at the moment. If there is a danger from the epidemic, and its spread has expanded in Egypt..we must confront what we are dealing with, young men..and do not succumb to underestimating the risks, or fail to fulfill our duty towards society and protect it.

The young woman with the conspiracy theory said: I believe that there is deception taking place at the highest levels in the world, and the media plays a role in it!!

I said: Let us return to the first question.. What should we do, taking into account the experiences around us?!

Through my discussions with experts, and my readings in much of what is written in the world about the line between closing the economy and its tragedy, and the harmful effects of social distancing on the movement of life… and between leaving society to work even if this leads to the death of some, in order not to kill the economy…. I find that it is true.. We cannot place human life in a choice in front of economic need. And the talk of the British Prime Minister and the President of the United States of America about him seemed inhuman when they raised this point at the beginning of the pandemic, even if they partially retracted it later!

There must be solutions to this contradiction, which eventually leads to the same tragedy: the destruction of humanity!!

So the only way available to restore the business cycle and the economy without sacrificing people is what South Korea has already done, and Germany is starting to do these days, which is “mass testing” that is, a “mass testing” procedure for all workers, and if the examination proves the presence of antibodies to the virus He has.. He returns directly to work, and no precautions or prohibitions are placed on his movement!! A notarized certificate must be issued to him to do so. This is what Germany intends to do to overcome this contradiction… by integrating the human side with the economic logic.

■ My advice is for the state to anticipate events…by investing in a “collective examination”…instead of waiting for a tragedy to occur, the wheels of business and the economy should stop. In this case it will be less expensive than the alternatives!!

■ Lord, be with the decision-makers in my country these days..because every other alternative may have dangerous side effects..and not making a decision now, its consequences will be greater and greater..and standing in the middle of solutions places on the citizen the burdens of all the damages of delayed decisions. It does not bring any of its benefits.