In the Far East, a monster has awoken.
No, this is not some ancient dragon deity, like those portrayed in countless Chinese New Year parades; it’s the latest, deadly strain of the Coronavirus that has pushed the planet toward panic.
As it stands today, the virus has taken over 100 lives…that we know about. The reason for that extra qualifier is that the Chinese government is not exactly known for their forthcoming nature, and there are reasons to believe that this outbreak is far more serious than they’re letting on.
To make matters worse, Beijing has been unwilling to accept help from the American government or the Center for Disease Control.
At press conference Tuesday, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the U.S. first offered to send experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on January 6 but China has not yet accepted the offer.
“CDC experts are standing by, ready willing and able to go immediately to China, either on a bilateral basis or under the auspices of the World Health Organization,” Azar said. “This is a major public health issue and we basically just need the best public health people we have in the world working on this.”
U.S. personnel could aid China in answering critical public health questions about how the virus spreads, its incubation period, and if it can be spread by those not yet showing symptoms, CDC Director Robert Redfield said.
“We are urging China: more cooperation and transparency are the most important steps you can take toward a more effective response,” Azar said.
China was similarly reticent to accept assistance during the SARS outbreak of the early 2000’s.
The United States has issued a warning to Americans to avoid travel to the region until the outbreak is under control.
