Zhang Wenhong. Photo: VCG

Zhang Wenhong, China's leading infectious disease expert and head of the Shanghai COVID-19 medical team, on Saturday highlighted key factors that have helped China to effectively control the COVID-19 epidemic and ensured a peaceful new year, and he also urged that the world should unite to fight the virus. 

Unity of all people is the foundation for China to beat an unprecedented pandemic, he wrote on Sina Weibo, Chinese Twitter-like social media, noting that "the battle of Wuhan" has showed the great determination of Chinese nation when the disaster comes, and this is also why China can effectively control the outbreak during the latter half of 2020. 

Governance capability of the government is the key to defeat the epidemic, he said, noting that in this game between the humanity and the nature, facts have proved that through cooperation and interaction between the government and the people, countries are able to decrease casualties to the lowest point.   

Zhang also stressed that early warning, existing medical and diagnostic techniques, as well as the vaccine research and development have also help the humanity to overcome the disaster.

"The successful development of the COVID-19 vaccine within a year broke the record of developing a new vaccine among the humanity," with therapeutic medicines also in the pipeline, and together with the vaccine, the case fatality rate of the virus will be greatly reduced.

Although virus variation is a law of nature, and is inevitable, humanity has shown great resilience, Zhang noted. "The reopening of the world depends on accessibility and equity of the vaccine worldwide, as well as the speed of the vaccine promotion," and now the WHO experts are worrying about the global distribution of the vaccine as the countries haven't reach agreement on the issue, but according to the latest interaction between the top leaders of China and the US, the world will see new opportunity of international cooperation after the Chinese Lunar New Year.

He wrote that "China must strengthen the development of its public health system, and only by doing so, can people's lives fully return to normal." He also stressed that increased coordination and cooperation should be the common goal for the countries worldwide.

"China can't win the battle alone because the world is a community with shared future. The US and Europe also can't win the battle by only finishing the vaccination for themselves. Unless there is enhanced China-US cooperation, to realize global vaccination, reopening of the world is difficult to foresee. Maybe this time, the pandemic has given a reason for countries to be united," Zhang said. 

Global Times