Coronavirus has continued its grip over the world with suspected cases and death toll increasing in Mainland China. Amidst changes in calculating methods, and allegations being raised against Xi Jinping and Chinese authorities of negligence and cover-up, American scientists have made a breakthrough by identifying the use of spike protein to create vaccine for treatment. China has also urged other nations to cooperate and show kindness by recalling the example of the visit of India’s Defence Minister George Fernandes during the SARS outbreak.
Crux of the Matter
Coronvirus Continues Coronavirus has continued to storm the world with positive cases totaling more than 75,000. With 118 new deaths in Mainland China, the death toll reached 2,236. New cases were falling for a few days until yesterday when Beijing reported 1,109 new cases in Mainland China. Number of new cases before yesterday was 349. Of the 1,109 cases, 631 were from the epicenter Hubei. Coronavirus spread to Chinese prisons of Hubei, Zhejiang, and Shandong, with 400+ new infected prisoners.
Counting COVID-19 The counting and categorizing practices have been changing and as a result, the number of reported cases has been fluctuating. China used nucleic acid tests for identifying the infection in a person. This test required more days and more amount of nucleic acid. China changed the method of diagnosing to computerized tomography (CT) scanning, in which X-ray of lungs was taken to check for infection of early signs like pneumonia. The new method increased the number of cases. However, China’s National Health Commission updated that the nucleic acid test method was the most suitable one and that the CT Scan method was a ‘stop-gap measure’.
Did Xi Know about COVID-19? In a speech that Xi Jinping gave on 3 February, he explicitly mentioned that he had talked with the Politburo Standing Committee, China’s prominent decision-making body, on 7 January about the ways to control the outbreak. On 20 January, Xi issued instructions about controlling the outbreak of Coronavirus. China is also infamous for allegedly covering up the 2002-03 SARS outbreak. This time too, the blame game from the government towards the provincial officials and from people to the government has given a spark to politicization and blame game.
We understand that the public is unsatisfied with our information disclosure. On one hand, we failed to disclose relevant information in a timely manner; on the other, we did not make sufficient use of valid information to improve our work. As for the late disclosure, I hope the public can understand that it’s an infectious disease, and relevant information should be released according to the law. As a local government, we can only disclose information after being authorized. – Zhou Xianwang, Mayor of Wuhan
Will Breakthrough Map Lead to Cure? On the basis of the genetic code of Virus released by Chinese researchers, American scientists have been successful in creating a 3D map of the Novel Coronavirus to understand how it affects human cells. This is the first step towards the development of vaccines and medical treatment to combat the virus. Coronavirus can enter into the human body through various proteins, however, spike protein is the most common one that binds the virus to the human cells. Genome of SARS-CoV-2 has helped Jason McLellan, a professor at the University of Texas and Austin, and his team mao the genes that code the spike protein. Now scientists across the world are studying this atomic structure to develop a vaccine or treatment against the Chinese pandemic.
China Remembers India’s Kindness China recollected India’s former Defence Minister George Fernandes‘ gesture towards China during the SARS outbreak. Sun Weidong, a Chinese Ambassador, sought the cooperation and kindness from other nations by retelling the tale of George Fernandes, who, when questioned by a journalist about SARS said that he was not afraid of SARS. He added that even Chinese people were not afraid and criticized the foreign media for embellishing the disease and creating panic in the world.
After returning to India Fernandes took “concrete actions” to support China’s efforts to combat the epidemic, adding he instructed Indian Army to donate medicine to China. – Ambassador Sun Weidong
While China battles Coronavirus and geopolitical allegations from across the world, it’s geopolitical woes continued as it objected to Indian Home Minster Amit Shah’s visit to India’s northeasternmost state Arunachal Pradesh – a state China claims as a part of Southern Tibet. It said that the visit violated its ‘territorial sovereignty‘.
When we abrogated Article 370, a misinformation campaign was unleashed that Article 371 will also be abolished. We want to assure the people that Article 371 will not be removed. We do not have any intention to do so. – Union Home Minster Amit Shah
Raveesh Kumar, Spokesperson of External Affairs Ministry, said that India’s position on Arunachal Pradesh was clear and consistent and that it was an integral and inalienable part of India.
Curiopedia
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Between November 2002 and July 2003, an outbreak of SARS in southern China caused an eventual 8,098 cases, resulting in 774 deaths reported in 17 countries (9.6% fatality rate), with the majority of cases in mainland China and Hong Kong. No cases of SARS have been reported worldwide since 2004. In late 2017, Chinese scientists traced the virus through the intermediary of civets to cave-dwelling horseshoe bats in Yunnan province. More Info
George Fernandes was an Indian trade unionist, statesman, journalist, freethinker, and member of Rajya Sabha from Bihar for a short while, and a member of Lok Sabha for a very long period, starting from Bombay (present-day Mumbai) in 1967 but mostly representing Bihar. He was a key member of the Janata Dal and the founder of the Samata Party. He held several ministerial portfolios including communication , industry, railways, and defence. Fernandes went underground during the Emergency era of 1975, while challenging Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for imposing a state of emergency, but in 1976 he was arrested and tried in the infamous Baroda dynamite case. In 1977, after the Emergency had been lifted, Fernandes won the Muzaffarpur seat in Bihar in absentia and was appointed as Union Minister for Industries. During his tenure as union minister, he ordered American multinationals IBM and Coca-Cola to leave the country, due to investment violations. He was the driving force behind the Konkan Railway project during his tenure as railway minister from 1989 to 1990. He was a defence minister in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government (1998–2004), when the Kargil War broke out between India and Pakistan, and India conducted its nuclear tests at Pokhran. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan India’s second highest civilan award posthumously in 2020 in the field of Public Affairs. More Info
Curated Coverage
Al Jazeera – China coronavirus outbreak: All the latest updates
Reuters – China posts sharp drop in new coronavirus cases after criteria change
CNN – Did Xi Jinping know about the coronavirus outbreak earlier than first suggested?
Republic World – China Changes Method Of Counting Coronavirus Patients Again
IB Times – Coronavirus spike protein is the key element to develop breakthrough vaccine
Japan Times – ‘Breakthrough’ map of coronavirus protein is key step toward vaccines
Livemint – China fondly remembers George Fernandes’ help when it was hit by SARS
Economic Times – India rejects China’s objection to Shah’s Arunachal visit
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