an incomplete list of countries that didn't fuck up on covid-19

[toastykitten]

•  Taiwan - instituted health screenings for travelers from Wuhan 12/31. The rapid response on COVID-19 is based on experience in the containment of SARS in 2003 and H1N1 pandemic flu in 2009. Our strategies include optimal border quarantine, enforcement of 14 day home isolation and quarantine, mobilization our health care system for infectious disease, adequate supplies of PPEs and other medical materials, quick announcement of travel alert and warning. We held the CECC daily press conference to provide transparent information, health education, and risk management. We encouraged people to keep appropriate social distance and avoid large-scale gatherings.
• South Korea - The government demanded that the Shincheonji Church turn over its full membership list, through which the Ministry of Health identified thousands of worshippers. All were ordered to self-isolate. Within days, thousands of people in Daegu were tested for the virus. Individuals with the most serious cases were sent to hospitals, while those with milder cases checked into isolation units at converted corporate training facilities. The government used a combination of interviews and cellphone surveillance to track down the recent contacts of new patients and ordered those contacts to self-isolate as well.
• Mongolia - Mongolia has had the best COVID-19 response in the world. Not only do they have zero deaths, they have zero local transmissions. Mongolia didn’t flatten the curve or crush the curve — they were just like ‘fuck curves’. In Mongolia, there simply wasn't an epidemic at all.
• Vietnam - Recognising that its medical system would soon become overwhelmed by even mild spread of the virus, Vietnam instead chose prevention early, and on a massive scale. By early January, before it had any confirmed cases, Vietnam's government was initiating "drastic action" to prepare for this mysterious new pneumonia which had at that point killed two people in Wuhan.
• Senegal and Ghana - Senegal is in a good position because its Covid-19 response planning began in earnest in January, as soon as the first international alert on the virus went out. The government closed the borders, initiated a comprehensive plan of contact tracing and, because it is a nation of multiple-occupation households, offered a bed for every single coronavirus patient in either a hospital or a community health facility.
• New Zealand - An aggressive approach has enabled New Zealand to end community transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Sophie Cousins reports. New Zealand recorded its first day of no new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) early this week, more than a month after its strict lockdown began.

Comments

[rachelmanija]

If I had to pick one country that I'm most impressed by, though many are impressive, it's Vietnam. They started from a place of serious disadvantage: they're not an island, they share a border with China, and they're not wealthy. They took action way before it was clearly necessary, which was a bold move requiring a lot of courage. And they used innovative, original, effective techniques, like the catchy anti-virus song with a dance that teaches you to wash your hands!

[toastykitten]

Agreed. I'm just completely amazed at how all of these countries were like, hmm...looks like China's got something going on, we're going to take proactive steps to prevent it getting here and not let people die!

Meanwhile, over here...