Some affected countries and regions have not seen new cases for days, and China has arguably passed the most difficult part of its "people's war", but that is not yet cause for celebration. The global situation needs to be analyzed as a whole, not viewed on the basis of the statistics for individual countries.

(Feb. 28 - Mar. 5)

37414

35329

32652

44462

27433

25352

23784

(Feb. 28 - Mar. 5)

39002

41625

44462

47204

49856

52045

53726

(Feb. 28 - Mar. 5)

(as of Mar. 5)

36

29

18

10

11

14

15

16

16

15

17

10

10

Diamond Princess Cruise 

34184

4054

Asia

Europe

700

171

North America

37

Oceania 

25

Africa

17

South America

(as of 24:00 on Mar. 5)

The World Health Organization (WHO) raised the risk assessment of COVID-19 from high to very high at global level on February 28.

"Our epidemiologists have been monitoring these developments continuously, and we have now increased our assessment of the risk of spread and the risk of impact of COVID-19 to very high at a global level," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, at a daily briefing.

Beijing municipality has required people arriving in the city as a destination from countries with serious coronavirus outbreaks to be quarantined for 14 days, local authorities said on March 3. The rule applies to both Chinese nationals and foreigners who enter the border in the city from countries including the Republic of Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan, said Chen Bei, deputy secretary-general of the municipal government.

Central China's Hubei Province, the center of the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is expected to gradually shut down temporary hospitals and cut the number of hospitals designated for the disease, local authorities said on March 3. The province will classify areas based on different risks of infection for management as more cities have seen zero growth in newly confirmed cases.

Researchers in China have found that two different types of the new coronavirus could be causing infections worldwide. In a preliminary study published on March 3, scientists at Peking University’s School of Life Sciences and the Institut Pasteur of Shanghai found that a more aggressive type of the new coronavirus had accounted for roughly 70% of analyzed strains, while 30% had been linked to a less aggressive type. The more aggressive type of virus was found to be prevalent in the early stages of the outbreak in Wuhan — the Chinese city where COVID-19 was first detected late last year.

China’s tech giants are accelerating their efforts in the field of health-care technology using cloud computing and artificial intelligence, as the country looks to contain the fast-spreading new coronavirus. With the outbreak of the coronavirus, Beijing has called on the country’s tech giants to pitch in to fight the outbreak. Tech firms have expanded their surveillance capabilities to help the government track where people who have potentially been in contact with the virus are located.

Xinhua

BEIJING, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday stressed coordinately advancing the scientific research on novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to provide support for winning the battle against the epidemic.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during his visit to the Academy of Military Medical Sciences and the School of Medicine at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

During his visit, Xi learned about the progress of research and application of the vaccines, anti-bodies, medicines and fast testing kits.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, Xi extended sincere gratitude and greetings to frontline science and technology personnel.

Xi stressed the pivotal role of science and technology in curing more patients, reducing mortality and eventually defeating the epidemic.

"Science and technology are the most powerful weapon in humanity's battle against diseases," Xi said. "Mankind cannot defeat a major disaster or epidemic without scientific development and technological innovation."

Xi said the COVID-19 research must be taken as a major and pressing task, calling for accelerating its progress and overcoming major difficulties in epidemic prevention and control at an earlier date.

On Monday afternoon, Xi first went to the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, where he heard a report on the academy's COVID-19 scientific research and inspected a contingency medicine research lab for major epidemic outbreaks.

Xi stressed the pivotal role of science and technology in curing more patients, reducing mortality and eventually defeating the epidemic.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the academy's contingency scientific research efforts have delivered positive results, he said.

Xi urged prompt efforts to develop safe and effective vaccines, drugs and testing kits to help fight the virus.

He also called for more core technologies with independent intellectual property rights and strong products after the tough battle against the coronavirus.

While inspecting the School of Medicine at Tsinghua University, Xi noted coordination between the frontline battle against the epidemic and scientific research and material production.

He called for accelerating the development of new-type testing kits, antibody medicines, vaccines, and diagnosis and treatment plans.

Xi also required efforts to reinforce the national surveillance network for major epidemics, improve the legal and regulatory system, promote the research of cutting-edge technologies and cultivate top-notch professionals to raise the country's ability to respond to major public health emergencies.

SCIENCE AS MOST POWERFUL WEAPON

President Xi Jinping talks with researchers during his visit to the School of Medicine at Tsinghua University in Beijing on March 2. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Chairing a symposium at Tsinghua University, Xi heard reports and gave an important speech.

He noted the progress made by the country's scientific and technological front in just over a month, saying it has provided forceful support to epidemic prevention and control.

At the moment, winning the people's war against the epidemic still requires hard work, Xi said, stressing more efforts to seek solutions through science.

"Saving the lives of more patients is the most pressing and important task," he continued.

Xi stressed linking the research on medicines and medical equipment with clinical treatment as well as giving priority to the clinical application of scientific research achievements.

Treatment should combine traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, more effective drugs be applied and new treatment methods explored to prevent patients with mild symptoms from becoming severely ill, he said.

Advanced treatments using convalescent plasma, stem cells and monoclonal antibodies should also be applied to treat severe and critically ill patients, he added.

On vaccine, Xi said it is vital to epidemic prevention and control, with its safety the top priority.

He called for speeding up the vaccine research and development while closely tracking the progress of related research overseas.

Xi urged early clinical trial and application of vaccines, as well as linking research and development with industrial-chain production.

He also required building a national reserve system for vaccines.

Xi stressed the importance of coordinating research on virus source tracing and transmission routes and evaluating whether some suspected animals are intermediate hosts.

Xi pointed out that new technologies, including artificial intelligence and big data, should be applied to epidemiological investigation and virus source tracing to figure out where the virus comes from and how it will develop.

Xi also underscored psychological intervention to help patients recover.

SAVING LIVES MOST PRESSING TASK

Bio-security should be included in the overall national security as an important part, Xi said, calling for strengthening the system and capacity building of epidemic prevention and control and scientific research on public health.

Xi called for improving the epidemic warning and forecast systems to gather information in a timely manner and quickly take response measures.

He emphasized concentrating nationwide resources to double down on key and core technology research and urged breakthroughs in developing high-end medical equipment to accelerate fixing the country's "weak link" in this sector.

Xi also emphasized resolutely eradicating the bad habit of eating wild animals to promote a civilized, healthy and environmentally-friendly lifestyle.

Public health security is a common challenge faced by humanity, and all countries should join hands to cope with it, Xi said.

Noting that the COVID-19 outbreaks have emerged in many countries, Xi said it is important to step up communication and exchange with the World Health Organization and carry out scientific research cooperation on source tracing, drugs, vaccines, testing and other fields with other countries, especially those hit hard by the virus.

Xi called on countries to share research data and jointly work out response strategies to contribute to building a community with a shared future for humanity.

DOUBLE DOWN ON KEY, CORE TECHNOLOGIES

China Daily

On February 26, the number of people newly infected with the novel coronavirus outside of China (459) exceeded the number in China (412) for the first time since the outbreak of the virus, and except for Antarctica, the virus has now spread to all continents.

As such, although the World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet declared it to be a global pandemic, the window of opportunity to control the spread of the virus, which has been hard earned by China at great cost, is closing quickly.

The improving situation in China shows that quick and decisive measures taken by the authorities to reduce population mobility and concentrate medical resources in the hardest-hit region at an early date can make a big difference. It is obvious that some countries that have watched China's efforts with folded arms are now looking at its taillights and the time it will take them to catch up with it in the race to contain the virus will come at the cost of lives lost and economic losses.

True, some affected countries and regions have not seen new cases for days, and China has arguably passed the most difficult part of its "people's war", but that is not yet cause for celebration. The global situation needs to be analyzed as a whole, not viewed on the basis of the statistics for individual countries.

Countries must fulfill their obligation to keep the WHO informed of their situations. The world cannot afford countries to drag their feet in revealing their true pictures. And those countries that have done a good job in containing the virus within their borders should take the initiative to extend a helping hand to others. It is essential that all countries appreciate that this is a global public health threat and a common battle.

The novel coronavirus is a public health emergency whose scope, duration and effects are still uncertain. As the global coordination mechanism remains underdeveloped, the epidemic should prompt countries to take advantage of bilateral and multilateral mechanisms to foster greater coordination and concerted efforts.

China has taken forceful measures to deal with the epidemic, the speed and strength of which have won precious time for the world to close ranks against the virus. And the Chinese practice offers successful experience for those countries now fighting the virus on their soil.

Enhanced coordination and concerted efforts are crucial for the health and well-being of all. While continuing to wage war against the outbreak in Hubei province, China will play its part and will do all it can to help others in their battles with the virus.

— World Voices —

UK PM highlights China's speedy post of information about coronavirus outbreak

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday congratulated the Chinese authorities on the speedy sharing of the novel coronavirus outbreak information. "I congratulate the Chinese authorities on the speed with which they posted the news of the outbreak that has serious international implications," Johnson said.

The prime minister said Britain continues to have a global coordination on fighting the virus. Johnson hosted the press conference to launch an action plan to tackle the spread of the coronavirus, alongside Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and Government Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance.

— World Voices —

China's experience in containing COVID-19 to benefit Iraq

Iraqi analysts said Iraq hopes to benefit from China's health experience in confronting the outbreak of COVID-19.

"I believe that Iraq can benefit from the experience of China in its efforts to contain the outbreak of coronavirus," said Ibrahim al-Ameri, a political expert and teacher of politics at the University of Baghdad. "Great efforts have been made by the Chinese government in different aspects: treating infected people, reducing fatality rates, protecting social stability, and strengthening emergency medical supplies," al-Ameri said.

— World Voices —

Experts praise China's efforts to contain virus

John Oxford, the UK’s leading expert on influenza and an emeritus professor of virology at Queen Mary University of London, described China's battle against the virus that caused COVID-19 as a "magnificent fight" and that the country's public health response has been "totally unprecedented".

Fan Chung, professor of respiratory medicine at Imperial College London and consultant physician at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust, echoed the comments.

"The fact that the entire city (of Wuhan in Central China's Hubei province) was contained and those facilities were opened, like the construction of new hospitals to meet the demands of the infected, and also the convergence of the medical workforce on Wuhan to care for patients, I think it has all been very impressive," Chung said.

WHO experts praise health efforts in Shenzhen

Shenzhen's coronavirus epidemic control efforts were acknowledged by experts from the World Health Organization, a report published by the National Health Commission said on February 29.

The WHO experts were on a fact-finding mission in China from February 16 to 24, visiting Sichuan, Guangdong and Hubei provinces and Beijing to assess measures taken by local authorities to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

— World Voices —

— Worldwide Situation —

Abe eyes release of all emergency funding to deal with COVID-19

The government may use all of its 270 billion yen in contingency funding from this current fiscal year to help mitigate the economic fallout from the new coronavirus outbreak in a second emergency package, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on March 3.

Abe’s announcement came after he faced harsh criticism that his handling of the virus crisis had been “too little, too late,” with observers saying that it could even pose an existential threat to the longevity of his administration. Until then Abe had pledged to spend only 15.3 billion yen in total.

Japan:

— WORLDWIDE SITUATION —

South Korea Widens Testing in Daegu as It Steps Up War on Coronavirus

As a new coronavirus case emerged every two minutes on average last week, South Korea focused its resources on the followers of the secretive Shincheonji Church of Jesus at the center of the epidemic. About half of the Shincheonji members tested so far in the hardest-hit city of Daegu are infected. But with the initial screening of the city’s Shincheonji members nearly completed, another problem has emerged in the country’s fourth-largest city: Cases are rising across the broader—and largely untested—population.

South Korea:

— WORLDWIDE SITUATION —

Italy to close schools as coronavirus death toll rises

Italy’s government on Wednesday announced it will temporarily close the nation’s schools and universities due to the coronavirus outbreak.

State-run RAI radio and the ANSA and LaPresse news agencies reported earlier Wednesday that Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte had agreed on the closure during a Cabinet meeting. Education Minister Lucia Azzolina later said the school closures would be in effect from March 5 through March 15.

Italy:

— WORLDWIDE SITUATION —

Iran takes measures to stop the spread of the epidemic

As the number of novel coronavirus cases in Iran soared past 1,500 on Monday, the Chinese government offered advice and suggested that Tehran was following Beijing’s lead on how to fight the outbreak. Iran is now taking a series of measures to stop the spread of the epidemic as soon as possible: translate China’s diagnosis and treatment plan into Persian and release it to the public, close all schools across the country, cancel all gatherings including weddings and funerals, test body temperature in public places, and organize 300,000 teams to conduct nationwide door-to-door screenings.

Iran:

On January 22, college teacher Li Ke returned to his hometown Xianning, a neighboring city of Wuhan, preparing for a family reunion for the upcoming Spring Festival. However, he was due to return to Wuhan to do some work on campus for the first three days of the national holiday.

Unexpectedly, that night, Wuhan announced a lockdown of the city from January 23. The teacher, thinking about fulfilling his duty, drove back to Wuhan the next day after the announcement.

The decision meant he was trapped in Wuhan away from his family until now, while witnessing the true Wuhan in more than a month. And he didn't allow himself to sit by.

By Zhang Rui

In a WeChat group, Li and his alumni and friends talked about the virus and situation and decided to do something practical to help the city by forming a small volunteer group.

They quickly crowd funded nearly 800,000 yuan (US$114,440) and bought batches of medical materials including 32,000 masks, 10,000 protective suits, 2,000 bottles of medical disinfectant and 3,000 goggles from outside the city, as some friends in the group were businessmen and had channels to arrange acquisition and transportation.

Li and other volunteers in Wuhan took the responsibility of contacting doctors and hospitals to distribute the materials according to public requests for help by the hospitals. According to him, they contributed to more than 20 major hospitals and about 40 community clinics. 

Wuhan was in serious shortage of medical supplies at the beginning of the outbreak and the frontline medical workers were in grave danger, despite the nation's emergency response and donations from all over the country and even the world. "I think, the frontline fight was very cruel and massive, consuming most of the supplies,” Li said. “These medical materials became fast-moving consumer goods."

One time, a head nurse of a children's hospital in Wuhan cried over their donation of a batch of protective suits after Li noticed they didn't have enough vital gear for their work. He was touched too. "They have great pressure and danger out there, but now at least they know we care. The ordinary people care about them."

To be a volunteer

The teacher heard about the urban rumors about the novel coronavirus in mid-January. But at that the time, he, like the majority of people in the city, didn't really pay much particular attention. "We just thought it was something with a small probability.

Now, it became a black swan. According to Li, many people started to panic when hearing about the lockdown of the city, "It was unprecedented for everyone. This is a mega-city with more than 10 million people, and now it is just in lockdown. There was no explanation about how to deal with transport, logistics, supplies and medical care, so we were nervous."

Everything has worked out in the end. Each residential block has a taxi service, and supermarkets and grocery stores have the sold-out goods replaced on the shelves the next morning. The city has also built field and shelter hospitals at the fastest pace and set up more quarantine areas in hotels and university dormitories to receive more patients. Everyone calmed down very soon. 

Unlike most of others who stayed at home for most of the time, Li was constantly out there to distribute the donations to hospitals. He told China.org.cn he would like to use "everything is in order" to describe the scenes he saw.

The daily necessities are secured, though the vegetables sell out fast. They can still buy bags of ordinary disposable masks in supermarkets to protect themselves though the more protective masks like N95 are still hard to get.

The city is 'in order'

After saying goodbye to his family, he didn't tell them about what he had done in Wuhan, in case they worried. Every day, he would make a video call with family, to see his child and show that he was OK.

Every time he went out, he would wear masks and long coat and hat, bring along a small bottle of medical alcohol as disinfectant to protect himself. But gradually he found he had more and more tasks, but fewer and fewer colleagues. When he asked their "commander," he was told some volunteers were infected with COVID-19. He was asked to take more precaution.

During this difficult time, he also helped many parents of his friends who are trapped in Wuhan by buying and sending the urgently needed medicines, materials and equipment for them.

Then, the local government took over and recruited more volunteers from official channels. Li and his friends felt it is time to have a break, so now he stayed at home writing memoirs.

"I'm an ordinary citizen of the city. The city gives us a lot. I just want to give back to the city and the society, this is our duty," he said.

Li said what touched him the most in his recent memory was a late-night mission on January 26. He received a message at 10 p.m. when he returned home after a busy day, saying a truck with medical supplies would arrive in Wuhan at 1 a.m.

It was dark cold night, he and another volunteer stood helplessly on the street waiting for the truck. Not long after, they suddenly saw dozens of headlights of automobiles coming from every direction, lighting up the night.

"I was particularly moved at that time," Li said, "As an individual, we have limited power each, but when we are together, shimmering lights can shine bright and we are very powerful."

Shimmering lights can shine bright together

— what media experts of 25 nations see in coronavirus fight

China, We Stand with You—what media experts of 25 nations see in coronavirus fight, a multimedia book with both English and Chinese versions written by 35 foreign experts, has been released recently by New Star Press under China International Publishing Group (CIPG).

This book includes news reports, pictures, comments and videos published by 35 expats who decided to stay or come back to China after the outbreak of COVID-19. They come from 25 countries and work at CIPG.

The book consists of 40 articles and 300 photos in eight sections: “China is Taking Action against COVID-19”, “Staying up in China”, “Beijing During the Coronavirus Outbreak”, “How are foreigners reacting to the covid-19 outbreak? ”, “Challenges Test Love”, “Joint Efforts in Combatting Coronavirus”, “Lands Apart, Sky Shared”, and “Virus Secludes Us, Love Spreads”. Each section is presented with relevant videos’ QR codes, 12 in total. The videos, created by the authors of the book, are in English, French, Arabic, Spanish, Japanese, and Korean languages, available on different multilingual media platforms. These written and visual documents speak to the truth, recording how Chinese people worked tirelessly to bring relief to the tens of thousands of Chinese citizens infected by the coronavirus.

The 35 authors are experts working at CIPG and are concerned about China. As media professionals, they find it misleading and misconstruing in the way their western counterparts cover the outbreak. Such coverages expand fears. Under such a circumstance, the experts strive to display the real situation in China, “to tell people what’s really going on with China”. As foreigners, they chose to stay in China, and some others who had gone home for vacation even “travelled against the flow” to come back. Their decisions were not reckless, because “China is the place where great achievements and miracles are made”. Meanwhile, they show international friendship and support to China, believing “just as I can’t abandon my friends in need, I won’t leave China when she is in need”. No matter where they are from, they share a common faith that “the smiles behind masks will reveal themselves in this lovely country soon.” Their sincerity is formidable, and their stories are heartening. This is a book of remembrance, a remembrance of the responsibility of media and press professionals, the trust of foreigners towards China and Chinese people, and the love beyond boundaries. This explains what internationalism is — love and care for each other despite of nationalities when we confront crises.

CIPG, also known as China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, is China's largest organization specializing in international publishing and communication. It operates multiple businesses, including news, publishing, translation, research, and international trade of cultural products.

By Lima Hakim

Lima Hakim is a professor and director of the Department of English, Damascus University, and a participant of the 4th Syria Workshop of China-Arab Research and Development Center.

From the beginning, China has taken unprecedented measures to combat COVID-19. The country's efforts, capabilities, and dedication to standing together in the face of this dreaded virus is admired by many.

On the one hand, the unified Chinese people with different religions and ethnicities are fighting against the virus; on the other hand, many people are trying to distort the true images of China and offend the great people of China by spreading false rumors and fake news.

People do not need to come to China to know the greatness of Chinese people. Rather, they can only look around themselves and see that most of what surrounds them is the products made in China, known as the world's factory today.

Not everything that is said is true, and not everything that is published is true. Therefore, we must investigate the accuracy and seek objectivity before publishing any news.

The 1.4 billion people of the country now stand together on the front line of the fight against the virus.

The government of China has allocated a massive budget to fight this epidemic. The love for the people is unparalleled.

Despite dangers, medical personnel from all over China volunteered to go to the Wuhan epidemic center. They cannot sleep well because of the medical protective garment. Although the dresses have left painful impact on their faces and hands, they still strictly followed the instructions. They are quarantined to stay home. Almost no one is on the street unless necessary.

The medical workers are even checking for the needs of people who are quarantined at home, including foreigners. They come daily with instructions and forms to fill in. On the daily basis, they ask the quarantined people whether they need anything. If help is needed, people staying home can also call the medical workers' number directly. Governments at all levels are striving to satisfy people's needs.

With all the respect and love of the Chinese people, we wish they recover from this dangerous virus at the earliest date.

Our hearts are with Chinese people. We pray for China and its people from any harm, and we are confident that China will overcome this crisis and become stronger. We wish prosperity and sustained progress for China and Chinese people. We are confident China will eventually overcome all the hostile forces against it.

One Month in Wuhan

A worker at the construction site of Tuanjie Grand Bridge of Renhuai-Zunyi Highway in Guizhou Province. Construction of the bridge has been resumed recently amid strict prevention measures against the novel coronavirus.

Volunteer Wang Zhen checks information in Wuhan, on February 29. He joined a WeChat group called “Wuhan Emergency Team,” which is committed to taking pregnant women without access to vehicles to the hospital.

Ni Xiaohui inspects CT scan images of a patient’s lungs on February 27.

Pakistani rescue personnel checks the body temperature of man during a drill, part of the preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19, in northwest Pakistani’s Peshawar on March 2.

In the eastern part of RenMin Hospital of Wuhan University, 27-year-old Dr. Liu Kai, a member of Shanghai medical team, enjoys a beautiful sunset with his 87-year-old patient on the way to a CT scan appointment. 

Dancers of a local ballet troupe demonstrate movements during an open course on live stream in Shanghai on February 29. Due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, the art group has canceled its on-site open course and moved it online.

By Nicholas Rosellini

2020 marks my fourth year at the United Nations in China. 2020 is also a watershed for the UN – the 75th anniversary of its founding and the beginning of a decade of action, with only ten years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). And here in China, 2020 is the year the government has vowed to eradicate poverty across the country.  

However, the recent outbreak of a novel coronavirus is threatening to destabilize these efforts unless everyone, from governments to the private sector, steps up and supports those most in need.

The COVID-19 is a devastating outbreak with an unprecedented response. Like many of you, I follow the situation on a regular basis. Today, we stand at 88,948 confirmed cases globally, the vast majority of these still here in China. Many unknowns still exist and around the world many are feeling anxious.

Since the outbreak was confirmed and reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31, 2019, the situation has developed quickly and continues to evolve. Given the dynamic nature of the situation, China has mobilized itself and adopted comprehensive and rigorous preventive and control measures. For this, I must congratulate the Chinese government, as despite the severe social and economic impact many of these preventive measures are having on the Chinese people, the government has put public health concerns first.

At the UN we hope these measures are short in duration, since, even though China’s health system has been significantly strengthened over the past years, any country’s health system would be challenged by an outbreak of a new virus with many unknowns, as we are seeing now.

However, as with any crisis situation, we have the opportunity to reflect. At the local government level, there are very important lessons to be learned for the future in terms of more transparency and information sharing. 

And importantly, we must make sure this emergency doesn't detract from the development goal of this year - eliminating extreme poverty. Poorer communities without the capacity or resources may be disproportionately affected, and there's also the impact on the health system for people not necessarily suffering from COVID-19, but from other illnesses which may not be prioritized because of the attention on the coronavirus. Beyond the health system, there's also an impact on the education system with children not being able to go to school and a broader economic impact as well. 

Since the beginning of the outbreak the international community has mobilized to help the people of China. At the UN, we’ve urgently procured much-needed emergency supplies, from masks to monitoring stations. And aside from supporting the immediate health impacts, the UN is ready to support China with the broader socio-economic impacts, both now and in the long term.

Each UN agency stands firmly together with WHO, bringing their own development expertise. Already UNDP is translating the key health messages across regional dialects, to make sure those vulnerable ethnic minority groups have access to this critical information they need. UNICEF has created an online information portal for parents to help them keep their children safe. UNAIDS has launched a nationwide survey to make sure all those living with HIV are still receiving the help they need during this difficult time.

All these actions together are supporting our mandate - to leave no one behind, especially during this very challenging time.

My sincere hope is that we come together as an international community with China, without discrimination and without stigma. As the UN Secretary-General has said: “At this time of heightened anxiety we must stand together in solidarity and compassion”- I cannot echo his message enough.

Zhong Guo Jia You- stay strong, the United Nations system stand firmly with the people of China during this critical time.

That the Chinese economy has not been battered senseless by the novel coronavirus indicates the resilience of the world's second-largest economy, which had just emerged beaten but unbowed from the bruising tariff combinations thrown at its exports by the United States.

Despite the economy being cornered into a virtual standstill by the nationwide quarantine measures from late January to mid-February, it has not been forced to its knees or had to take the count, and its capability to shake off what would have been a blindside blow for others is testimony to its strong conditioning.

Now with the epidemic showing signs of being brought under control, the nation has accumulated enough favorable conditions to rise up and fight back against the vicissitudes that have beset it.

Although the monthly purchasing managers index released on March 2 by Caixin fell to 40.3 from January's 51.1, business confidence has risen to a five-year high with the government showing it will provide tax cuts and other aid to revive the economy. And it should be borne in mind that some of that monthly drop in activity would have registered anyway as factories would have closed for two weeks or more for the Spring Festival holiday.

While that holiday has obviously been longer than expected because of the epidemic, since the State Council, China's Cabinet, called on all departments and local governments to support enterprises to resume their operations on February 8, the resumption of industry and businesses have been carried out in a phased manner, with local authorities taking the initiative to resume economic operations once they are confident that the epidemic is under control in their areas.

More than 97 percent of China's top 500 manufacturing enterprises have resumed operations; more than 90 percent of State-owned enterprises under the administration of the central government have resumed production; and more than 90 percent of the large-scale enterprises in the country's major industrial powerhouses, such as Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong and Zhejiang provinces, were again firing on all cylinders as of March 1.

That these moves, which involve the mobility of hundreds of millions of people, have not disturbed the downward trend in the number of infections nationwide should serve to announce the economy is no longer pinned against the ropes by the virus, thanks to the resolute containment efforts by the government.

Even if the epidemic persists for a while, since the country has found a way to strike a balance between epidemic control and production resumption, it will not change the strong fundamentals of the Chinese economy, nor reverse the overall trend of its restructuring. Instead, the epidemic will further promote the upgrading of technologies, promote the transformation of its economic structure and accelerate the modernization of its governing system.

By Lan Xinzhen

More than a month of intense prevention and control measures have borne fruit in China: Both new confirmed and suspected cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are dropping, so is the fatality rate and the number of cured and discharged patients keeps growing. The final victory against the disease in the country seems within sight.

However, confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been found in dozens of countries and regions and the number is growing. Under these circumstances, China's measures can serve as a reference for other countries to save lives and offset costs due to lack of experience.

China is able to pool its resources together to focus on one major mission. All resources can be arranged and deployed in a unified and orderly manner. But some have a different state system that makes this type of coordination impossible.

When we say the international community can learn from China's experience in containing the virus, we don't mean to pitch China's social system, but to present its effective disease prevention and control measures.

Whether the suspension of public transportation in the epicenter Wuhan, Hubei Province, as well as the quarantining of suspected patients breach human rights should be judged by how helpful they are to the health of the vast majority of the population and whether the basic needs of those affected by these measures are met to the largest extent. In addition, these practices are accepted and espoused by the majority of people, which proves the accusations of human right violations are groundless.

China's best practices include early screening, reporting, quarantining and treatment; identifying all patients; admitting them to designated hospitals; engaging top-notch experts; and concentrating resources on epidemic control. China's practices have won recognition from the World Health Organization (WHO) and many countries. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that China is setting a new standard for epidemic response.

The outbreak is a major public health emergency that has spread quickly, caused the most extensive infection and has been the most difficult to contain since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. It is also the first time that China has adopted such measures to cope with an epidemic of this magnitude. When the world's most populous country is able to contain the spread of the virus through effective measures, other countries will also have the means to. For example, the Republic of Korea (ROK) is similar to Zhejiang Province in east China in terms of size and population. The ROK can learn from the province's experience in fighting the virus.

Moreover, the idea of a community with a shared future for humanity can be used as a guideline for disease prevention and control in the era of globalization. The implementation of this concept is essential to the success of global efforts to counter the epidemic.

After the epidemic broke out, the Chinese Government gave top priority to protecting people's lives. On January 11, when little was known of the virus, China was able to share information like the genetic sequence of the virus with WHO and different countries. China has been transparent with the international community throughout the process. Global moral support and material aid have boosted the Chinese people's confidence.

Although the virus first appeared in China, it does not mean that it is just a Chinese issue. As the situation in China improves, it is ready to lend a hand to other countries in their struggle against COVID-19. Viruses respect no borders and don't pick targets based on skin color, nationality or race. The hi-tech age has shortened distances among people. No country can keep itself immune to the threat of a virus. Once it begins to spread across the globe, the consequences can be severe.

On January 30, WHO declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern for fear that the virus could spread to countries with weaker health systems. By doing so, it also called for the solidarity of the whole world. The situation demands every member of human society treat COVID-19 seriously. The world must join hands in the face of a common enemy.

Can I catch COVID-19 from my pet?

A pet dog of a COVID-19 patient from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has tested "weak positive" for the novel coronavirus, meaning low levels of the virus were found in the animal's body.

The dog, which has been put under quarantine, exhibited no symptoms of the disease, said the city's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, adding that more tests would be conducted to confirm if it had really been infected and if it picked up the virus from a contaminated environment. There's no evidence that pets could contract the coronavirus or transmit it to people. However, the situation is still evolving, scientists say.

How integrative medicine helps in COVID-19 treatment?

To date, there is no vaccine or specific medicine for novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). But medics in China have found that integrative medicine could increasing recovery rate and reduce fatalities effectively.

China's National Health Commission prescribes the use of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) alongside Western drugs in its guidelines for the treatment of infected people with the coronavirus. Western medicine treatment is mainly based on fighting the virus and resisting infection. TCM is about giving every patient individualized treatment according to their symptoms.

Experts from different hospitals said they have witnessed a higher recovery rate among those using both TCM and Western drugs, compared to just employing mainstream treatments.

Pathologically, how is COVID-19 different from SARS?

The degree of lesions on lungs of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) patients is lower than SARS. Pathological differences between the two diseases have been found through pathology observation and consultation with experts who diagnosed patients during the SARS outbreak.

The degree of alveoli damage and lung necrosis of COVID-19 is slightly lower than SARS. Both of the viruses cause hyperplasia to alveolar epithelial, but the hyperplasia of SARS drops into the alveolar space while the hyperplasia of COVID-19 is more active.

The two disease are different in terms of the degree and course of the fibrosis of alveoli. However, COVID-19 causes bigger damage to organs other than lungs. It means that other organs, especially the immune system (of COVID-19 patients), are under great attack.

There have been more than 8,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases outside China. What assistance China has offered to affected countries?

China is following closely the global developments of the epidemic and relates deeply to the difficulties of some countries where the outbreak is getting more severe.

As for now, China's prevention and control efforts have produced visible progress, but this is no time to relax as we are still in a critical stage. It is of greater importance and urgency for countries to enhance communication and cooperation in public health security. China has been in communication with other countries. We have provided testing reagents to Pakistan, Japan, the African Union (AU), among others and shared diagnostic and therapeutic solutions with many countries. The Red Cross Society of China and many Chinese enterprises delivered reagents to Iran and African countries. We also sent a volunteer expert team to Iran.

China stands ready to step up cooperation in the health sector with the WHO and relevant countries, especially the ones seriously affected by COVID-19. We will fight together for the final victory over the virus.

Egypt's Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed visited China as special envoy of the Egyptian President on March 2. How does China see the visit at this special time amid the outbreak?

As the Chinese people's fight against the epidemic comes to a critical juncture, President Abdul Fatah Al-Sisi sent Minister Hala Zayed as his special envoy to express sympathies and support and bring medical supplies to China. It shows the high emphasis Egypt attaches to relations with China and its deep friendship towards the Chinese people. We'd like to express our appreciation and thanks. During the Minister's visit, she met with Vice Chairman Chen Zhu of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and officials from the National Health Commission. The two sides held in-depth exchange of views on cooperation in the health sector. China also shared with the Egyptian side information on the epidemic and its prevention and control experience.

While China provides aid to foreign countries, many of them have lent a helping hand. Could you update on foreign assistance China received?

According to what we learned through diplomatic channels, as of March 2, 62 countries and seven international organizations have pledged epidemic prevention and control supplies to China. To be specific, supplies from 46 countries and six international organizations have arrived in China. Sixteen countries and one international organization announced they would provide prevention and control supplies. In addition, 12 countries and two international organizations have provided or announced they would provide food, cash and other forms of material support to China.

At present, the epidemic response is at the most crucial stage, and many countries are also facing the threat of the epidemic. In the spirit of a community with a shared future for mankind, while making continued efforts for prevention and control at home, China will strengthen cooperation at regional and international levels, timely share information and experience, and coordinate policies and resources with other countries and the WHO in this battle against the epidemic until altogether we win a victory around the globe. 

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