It looks like the COVID-19 is a system test. In dealing with the pandemic, Asia is obviously doing a better job than Europe. China, the first outbreak country, has largely controlled the situation so far. In the same time, progress in European countries is slow and difficult. European regions have become the focus now. With diagnosed cases growing exponentially, the spread of virus seems unable to be contained. What could be the reasons behind it?
Large Scale Big Data Monitoring
Historically, the ruling of emperors in ancient Asian countries or regions used to be arbitrary, of which the culture continues that people are more obedient and trust their countries, compared to Europeans. This happens not only in China, but also in Korea and Japan. In addition, Asians believe the capacity of big data control in fighting against epidemics. Therefore, not only virologists or epidemiologists are fighting against virus, but also information scientists and big data experts have their indispensible participation.
China has already established a social credit rating system, which can evaluate citizens comprehensively. This is unimaginable in Europe. The data exchange between network providers and government agencies makes social monitoring possible in China. During the outbreak of new coronavirus, Wuhan set up thousands of digital investigation teams to track potential infected people only by technical data. With big data analysis alone, government can find out who is likely to be infected, who needs to be further observed and who must be quarantined.
This situation has its own cultural background. Collectivism prevails in Asia and there is no obvious individualism. In battling the virus, big data looks more effective than Europe’s border closures. However, data protection seems hindering European countries in taking similar actions, as customers’ sensitive data will be shared for health management.
Masks in Public Space And Supplies
Protective mask is also a significant difference between Asia and Europe. In China, almost all people wear masks that can protect them from spreading coronavirus. There were long lines in front of pharmacies to buy masks. New machines were built for producing mask. The supply of masks to the public has played a decisive role in curbing the pandemic in Asia.
Few people wear masks in European countries, and most of those who do are Asian. Apparently, there is another cultural difference. The individualism that prevails in Europe is linked to an open face. Asia is trying to provide masks for their whole population. When Chinese masks began in short supply, they converted factories to produce masks. While in Europe, even medical workers don’t get enough masks.
As long as people continue to get on crowded buses and subways without any protection in the city, the lockdown on borders may fail in controlling the pandemic. It is only an ineffective demonstration of sovereignty. Closer cooperation within EU and the world would be more helpful than just physical closure on borders. A more meaningful approach could be prohibiting people from leaving to protect those in other parts of the world.
In the past, the production of masks, like many other things, has been transferred to China, so there are not many masks producing in Europe. One of the lessons learnt from the epidemic should probably be getting part of the production of masks and medicines back to Europe.
Unrestricted Destructive Mobility
Although the risk of COVID-19 cannot be underestimated, the panic caused is disproportionate. Even in the 1918 Spanish flu, which has a higher fatality rate, did not has such devastating impact on economy. Today we live in a totally different society. Like what happened in the war time, an “immune society” was shaped by borders that impeded the accelerated flow of goods and capital. Globalization make it abolish all “immune thresholds” in order to pave the way for free flow of goods and capital.
Now, the new coronavirus has suddenly broken into a society of which the “immunity” has been severely weakened by global capitalism. The “immune thresholds” were rebuilt. Borders were blocked. Enemy is back. The panic in face of the new coronavirus is a kind of social and global “immune reaction” in front of the new enemy. The reaction is so serious because we have been living in a society without enemies for long time.
The reation in financial market to this infectious disease is also the embodiment of its inherent panic. The distortion of the global economy makes it very fragile. The panic in markets may not signify fear of the virus, but rather fear of themselves. The new coronavirus could just be a precursor to the collapse of the market.
Full of fake and forged news caused by the development of digitalization result in people’s indifference to reality. The reality and resistance reappeared in the form of an enemy, COVID-19. The fear of the new coronavirus reflects our living society. The attention to good life gives way to the hysterical attitude to survival. The panic to the virus exposed the “foundation” of our society. Seeing imminent visible death, we find ourselves in the throe of survival, and willingly sacrifice everything that makes life valuable. We as rational human beings, must reconsider the way to fundamentally curb the unrestricted destructive mobility to save our beautiful planet.
