中国方案:抗击疫情的好方法
2022-06-24RashaKhalil张佳艺
文/Rasha Khalil 译/张佳艺
Rasha Khalil,叙利亚籍,四川外国语大学教授、发明家、研究员。曾获得世界知识产权组织(WIPO)发明奖章, 英国肯特自然资源国际基金会奖,2020文明之光·中国文化交流年度人物。
在中国生活和工作十多年的经历为我提供了一个独特的机会,让我发现这个美轮美奂、魅力非凡的国家有着极其多元化的、值得探索的地方。
中国拥有令人叹为观止的极致美景和摄人心魄的自然奇观。张家界国家森林公园、桂林喀斯特丘陵、长江三峡和杭州西湖等只是中国自然宝藏中的冰山一角。若一个人想赏遍中国大好河山,穷极一生都游览不尽。
Living and working in China for over a decade has offered me a unique opportunity to discover the country of exceptional beauty and charm with a highly diverse array of extraordinary places to explore.
China has breathtaking landscapes and spectacular natural wonders. The Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Guilin’s dramatic limestone karst hills, the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River, and Hangzhou’s West Lake are only some of China’s natural treasures that one needs more than a lifetime to visit and enjoy.
Another element of China’s majestic charm is its ancient civilization with a long history and deeply rooted culture. I traveled back in time and learned about the glorious Chinese society and its long history. I strolled through traditional alleys and walked along the Great Wall. I wandered around the Forbidden City and reflected on life while walking in the unique Long Corridor of the Summer Palace. I perceived unique sensations from the stunning Buddhist art collections in Mogao Grottoes, and I stood side-by-side with thousands of terracotta warriors prepared by Emperor Qin Shi Huang for his final battle.
Yet, the most critical aspect of China’s majesty is the people. Although the Chinese nation comprises 56 ethnic groups, many character traits are widely shared and strongly expressed in all ethnicities.
Chinese people are diligent, ambitious, and strive to achieve success. Yet, they believe in the value of collaborative work. One of the most striking features of Chinese people is modesty, which is a virtue in Chinese culture. Furthermore, Chinese people believe in harmonious and peaceful coexistence with others. Chinese people have dearly passed on these values and cherished and treasured them despite the technological advancement and the change to living in modern metropolitan cities.
This amazing and inspiring experience has added unique memories to my life and enabled me to broaden my horizons in unexpected ways. But one thing, in particular, has genuinely affected me and changed the way I see myself and the world around me. That is the way China has managed the Covid-19 pandemic.
中国魅力的另一个方面在于其源远流长的历史和璀璨的中华文明。漫步于幽深古巷之间,徐行于长城之上,闲走于紫禁城之中,安步于颐和园的廊腰缦回之时,感叹于莫高窟的佛教艺术收藏之间,并肩于秦始皇兵马俑之旁,恍惚间我仿佛穿越了时光,为辉煌的中华文明和悠久的中国历史而惊叹不已。
然而,中国伟大的关键在于其人民。中华民族由56个民族组成,每个民族都在广泛共享和强烈表达中彰显出中国人民的精神品格。
中国人民勤奋不倦、雄心勃勃、力争上游,相信“众人一条心,黄土变成金”。中国人最突出的特点之一就是为人谦逊,这是一种中华美德。中国人信奉与人为善、和平共处。尽管在时代潮流推动下,科技发展日新月异,生活也趋于大都市化,中国人民还是传承着这些价值观。
Covid-19 has become a severe public health threat worldwide due to its high transmissibility and emerging mutations. The number of reported infections recently has exceeded four hundred million, and the number of reported Covid-19 related deaths is more than six million (as of 29 March 2022). Still, the figures are probably much higher than those official records indicate. Nevertheless, the negative and catastrophic consequences of the virus are not limited to the health impact but also heavily affect the social and economic systems. Even though most of the planet has severely struggled with this disastrous pandemic for more than two years, the medium- and long-term consequences of Covid-19 have varied considerably worldwide. The differences between countries’ responses to the pandemic - notably the inability of some countries to rally their people and create collective commitment and focus.
China took a ‘wartime’ approach to aim for ‘zero-COVID’ to combat and controlled the pandemic. In addition, China has responded to the crisis by developing and utilizing its comprehensive and holistic management structure that consists of sociopolitical, technological, and psychological elements.
China has responded to the pandemic using flexible and innovative policies to guide its people toward public health goals. By articulating the needs of ordinary people and grassroots organizations and the reallocation of national resources, the Chinese government has successfully fostered and boosted the people’s sense of duty and unity. Moreover, combining the welfare of communities with those of the country generated collaborative efforts to combat the Covid-19.
All members of society have participated in efforts to prevent the spread of the virus. Individuals, communities, as well as organizations in private and public sectors have fully complied with the government’s guidelines on all issues relating to Covid-19 (e.g., restrictions relating to gatherings and social distancing, disinfection of workplaces, communal areas, and public facilities as well as satisfactory ventilation of indoor spaces).
The central government and local governments across China have encouraged and helped individuals increase their awareness of the prevention and control measures for the virus. In addition, the government issued guidelines to encourage individuals to prioritize a healthy lifestyle and develop good hygiene. Therefore, I find the policy of voluntary compliance and having a cohesive society is of significant importance in improving collective wellbeing and promoting the population’s health.
When examining the system used to contain the pandemic outbreak, it is apparent that China has surpassed the rest of the world and paved the path to a new era of technology.
有凝聚力的社会
在华经历给我的生活增添了独特的回忆,以意想不到的方式拓宽了我的视野。但有一件事尤其对我产生重要影响,改变了我审视自己和周围世界的方式。这就是中国对新冠肺炎疫情的管控。
由于新冠病毒具有高传播性和新型突变的特点,它已经对当今世界的公共卫生构成严重威胁。截至2022年3月29日,新冠病毒感染人数已超过4亿,死亡人数超600万。然而,真实数据可能远比这些官方数据要高得多。尽管如此,该病毒带来的灾难性后果并不限于对健康的影响,还严重波及社会和经济体系。尽管两年多以来,全球大部分地区都在与这种灾难性的疫情激烈斗争,但新冠肺炎疫情带来的后果在世界各地大不相同。这与各国对疫情的不同反应密切相关,特别是体现在一些国家无力团结本国人民、促成集体承诺和共识。
为了抗击和控制疫情,中国采取了“战时”策略,以“动态清零”为最终目标,通过发展和利用由社会、政治、技术和心理因素组成的全面而整体的管理结构来应对这场危机。
中国采取了灵活的、创新的政策来应对疫情,引导人民实现公共卫生目标。通过表达普通民众和基层组织的需求,并重新分配国家资源,中国政府成功地培养、增强了人民的责任感和团结精神,将家庭与团体的福祉同国家的繁荣相结合,这激发了同心协力抗击新冠肺炎疫情的集体力量。I believe that China has reinvented digital applications. China has been able to use existing technologies effectively and efficiently and has developed digital tools that can address a wide range of pandemic-related issues, reduce the impact of the crisis on ordinary citizens, and publish reliable statistics on the progress of the pandemic.
China developed and utilized sophisticated and unique datainformed disease control and surveillance approaches. Consequently, applied containment measures were effective, and the allocation of medical resources came at the right time and in the right place. Smartphone digital applications (e.g., WeChat and Alipay) have helped share medical information, trace people who may have contracted an infected individual, and determine individual exposure risk (displayed as a health code). All information has been updated daily on both the user’s and government’s
sides, leading to the rapid assignment and re-classification of pandemic containment priorities and prevention.
During the past two years, China has made massive progress in comprehending the nature of the disease and its impact. In addition, China has also analyzed its effects on both physical health and mental health.
In the early stages of the crisis, China’s national health commission (NHC) recognized the potential psychological impacts of Covid-19 on the population, particularly segments identified as more vulnerable. These psychological effects might manifest in different forms (e.g., anxiety, stress, irritability, depression, or even anger). Therefore, NHC addressed the psychological impact of this crisis by restructuring psychological services to divide the population into different groups ts according to their exposure to the pandemic. In addition, this service provides data that prioritize those in need of psychological or mental healthcare.
At the same time, medical staff on the front line of the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic show empathy to patients; treat them with tolerance; boost their confidence in their recovery by helping them stay positive amid adversity; and encourage them to cooperate with all aspects of treatment. The first aspect of achieving this was effectively disseminating Covid-19 related information through the media, including social media platforms, and using this information to increase public health awareness. The second aspect was improving the communication between medical staff and patients. The goal was to assist the latter in their recovery process.
NHC focused on the family’s role in dealing with mental health issues and the psychological consequences of the pandemic. Therefore, to support those in urgent need of help (whether patients or health care providers), NHC encouraged the creation of social work services networks run by families living in the communities. This action has highlighted the family as both a subject and a provider of mental health services. The alignment of the family and society order derives from the nurturing Chinese culture. The family is more important than the individual, and the whole society is considered one big family consisting of all members.
社会所有成员都为防止病毒传播而付出努力。个人、社区、企业和公共部门都完全遵守政府的指导方针,如与集会和社交距离相关的限制,工作场所、公共区域和公共设施的消毒以及室内的通风等。
中央政府与地方政府不断帮助民众提高对防控的认识,发布指导方针,鼓励个人考虑健康的生活方式并养成良好的卫生习惯。我发现,自愿遵守以及有凝聚力的社会对于改善集体福祉和促进民众健康非常重要。
很明显,中国在遏制疫情扩散方面已超越了世界其他国家,为通往新技术时代铺平了道路。
我相信中国已经彻底变革了数字应用。中国能够有效且高效地利用现有技术并开发数字工具,解决疫情相关问题,减轻危机对普通民众的影响,同时也时时发布关于疫情进展的可靠统计数据。中国开发、利用了复杂又独特的基于数据的疾病控制和监测的方式。因此,防控措施得到了有效应用,医疗资源在合适的时间和地点得到了合理分配。比如,智能手机数字应用(如微信和支付宝)在分享医疗信息、追踪密接者以及通过健康码确定个人风险方面十分有效。用户信息和政府数据每天都在更新,可使疫情防控重点能得到快速调整和重新分配。
疫情暴发两年多来,中国已经在了解研究疾病性质及其带来的身心健康影响方面取得了巨大进展。
在疫情危机的早期阶段,中国国家卫生健康委员会(简称“卫健委”)认识到新冠肺炎疫情对人的潜在心理影响,特别是那些更脆弱的群体。这些心理影响可能会以不同形式表现出来(如焦虑、压力、易怒、抑郁甚至愤怒),因此,根据人们接触疫情的程度,卫健委通过心理服务将他们分成不同组别,以此来应对这一危机带来的心理影响。这项服务优先提供给那些需要心理或精神保健的人。
与此同时,在抗击新冠肺炎疫情前线的医务人员要对感染者怀有同理心,宽容地对待他们,帮助他们在逆境中保持积极的态度,增强其康复信心,鼓励他们配合治疗的各个环节。实现这一目标的第一个要素是通过社交媒体平台有效传播新冠病毒和疫情相关的信息,并利用这些信息提高公众健康意识;第二个要素是改善医患关系,帮助患者尽快痊愈,并助其战胜对疾病的恐惧。
卫健委也关注家庭在处理心理健康问题和疫情心理疾病方面的作用。因此,为了支持那些迫切需要帮助的人(无论是病人还是心理健康服务提供者),卫健委鼓励创建由社区家庭进行管理的社会工作服务网络。事实上,这一举动强调了家庭既是心理健康服务的受众也是提供者。家庭和社会秩序的一致性源于中国文化的滋养。在这种文化中,家庭比个人更重要,整个社会被认为是一个由所有小家成员组成的大家庭。
团结一致、凝心聚力是中华民族的鲜明品质。中国也因此得以有效地重新分配资源,并迅速部署国家力量,保证了疫情形势严峻地区的医务人员数量。因此,中国能够迅速遏制和控制新冠病毒的大规模传播。尽管许多省市都出现了确诊病例,但中国仍能够保持正常的生活节奏、恢复原有的生活活力,并维持常态的经济增长。
国际合作 共抗疫情
在国内抗击新冠肺炎疫情时,中国意识到各国不可能孤立地同新冠病毒作战。因此,中国政府非常重视国家间的国际合作,共同对抗全人类的这一劲敌。中国政府认为,为实现每个公民和政府消灭病毒的共同目标,其最佳途径是通过团结、互助、支持以及协调来实施有效的全球健康治理。
中国在全球范围内参与抗击新冠肺炎疫情,包括积极与国际社会分享疫情有关的信息、参与疫苗研发的国际合作、向海外部署医疗专家小组、为不同国家的公共卫生官员提供咨询、为南亚国家提供中国研发的新冠疫苗、敦促国内和国际非政府组织援助有需要的国家等。
尽管在疫情发生之初,中国自身的医疗物资也很匮乏,但他们仍向许多国家,如意大利、西班牙、法国、印度和塞尔维亚等捐赠医疗物资。这些捐赠包括隔离中心的建筑材料、呼吸机、制氧机、医用监护仪、人工呼吸器、防护服和防护面罩等。
中国的贡献还包括向世界卫生组织慷慨解囊,并资助疫情严重的国家,尤其是发展中国家,帮助他们在疫情的影响下实现经济与社会的复苏。
This unity and cohesiveness are distinctive characteristics of the Chinese nation. That allowed China to efficiently reallocate its resources and swiftly deploy its national power to increase the number of doctors and health workers in areas experiencing difficult pandemic situations. Consequently, China was able to quickly contain and control the large-scale transmission of Covid-19. As a result, the country could resume normal life activities and functions and sustain its economic growth despite the emergence of confirmed cases in numerous cities and provinces.
While fighting Covid-19 domestically, China realized that countries couldn’t fight Covid-19 in isolation. Consequently, the Chinese government attached significant importance to international cooperation between countries in their fight against this common enemy of all humankind. The Chinese government believed that the best way to achieve the common goal of every citizen and the government (i.e., to exterminate the virus) was through solidarity, mutual help and support, and coordination to apply effective global health governance.
China’s global engagement in the fight against Covid-19 involved actively sharing information with the international community. In addition, China is actively participating in international cooperation in vaccine research and development, deploying medical expert teams overseas to advise public health officials in different countries. Furthermore, China gave South Asian countries access to Chinese-developed Covid-19 vaccines and pressed national and international non-governmental organizations to assist countries in need.
Despite their shortage of medical supplies at the beginning of the pandemic, the Chinese government placed high importance on donating medical supplies to different countries worldwide (e.g., Italy, Spain, France, India, and Serbia). The donations included construction materials for quarantine centers, ventilators and oxygen generators, medical monitors, respirators, protective suits, and face masks.
China’s contributions also included generously donating to the World Health Organization and funding severely affected countries to assist in their recovery from the economic and social impacts of the pandemic, in particular developing countries.
China has proved to the world that containment of the pandemic is possible quick and sustainable manner. The world could emerge stronger by acting and uniting together. From the adversity, a unique opportunity appears—as the old Chinese proverb goes, “A crisis is an opportunity riding a dangerous wind.” China’s approach to the Covid-19 crisis represented a massive leap for the future of humanity.
中国向柬埔寨无偿援助的第八批新冠疫苗于2022年3月29日至30日陆续运抵金边。图为机场工人在柬埔寨金边国际机场运输中国援助的新冠疫苗(新华社 李莱 摄)
中国已经向世界证明,疫情可以以可持续的方式得到控制,世界可以通过共同行动和团结一致而变得更加强大。如中国一句谚语所言,“危机亦是转机”,逆境中也会出现难得的机会。中国应对新冠肺炎疫情的做法是面向人类未来的一次巨大飞跃。
在国家和国际层面,中国对疫情的管控进一步加深了我对“领导力”一词的认知。事实上,这段经历让我重新思考我对生活的理解、它所提供的机会以及藏身于黑暗之中的灾难。“危”意为危险,“机”代表机会。在意识到“危机”这个词语由两层含义组成之后,我的内心力量被引导着去直面所有危机。“危机”一词反映出无论危机有多严重,机会总是存在的,是能改善人们生活的,是通往非凡成就的。
我越发有这样的感触:恐惧要留给自己,勇气和志向要与他人共享。另外,我还意识到,我要援以他人力量,以期他们能够自力更生。我最具价值的收获是传播希望,最佳方式是沟通、合力、为集体利益而牺牲自我利益,是共面挑战、是欣赏他人的成就、是相信人们的潜力与能力。成功的领导者是那些激励、团结民众,使其众志成城、共克时艰的人。
The management of China against the pandemic at the national and international levels added further depth to the way I understand the word “leadership.” As a matter of fact, this experience made me rethink my understanding of life, the opportunities it provided as well as the catastrophe it hid in its darkness. It helped me to channel my inner strength to face any crisis, especially after realizing that the word “crisis” in the Chinese language comes from two characters; “危,” which means danger, and “机” which means opportunity. The word “危机” reflects an opportunity to change and improve our lives. We can achieve extraordinary things with any crisis, regardless of its severity.
I have personally learned that I need to keep my fears to myself and share courage and aspiration with others. I have also known that I need to give and extend my strength to others in the hope that they will be able to stand on their own. The most valuable lesson I have learned is that the best way to be a supplier of hope is by communicating and connecting efforts and offering sacrifices for the greater good, sharing challenges and weaknesses, acknowledging others’ contributions, and believing in the potential and capacity of people. Finally, I have learned that successful leaders inspire people and bring them together to overcome the odds.