http://www.bjreview.com FEBRUARY 13, 2020 BEIJING REVIEW 47
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Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo
system, and it is where the Chinese people’s
confidence in winning the anti-coronavirus
battle originates.
Addressing problems
Fu Te (www.people.com.cn): The whole
country is now focused on battling the virus.
However, some people, or rather business-
people, are spreading misinformation and
creating panic among the public, so that
they can make huge profits by pushing up
the price of urgently needed goods. These
practices not only fuel people’s anxiety but
disrupt normal social order.
Rising confirmed infection cases are
stoking the public’s anxiety, so it’s natural
that they want to protect themselves by
buying face masks and medicine. It has
been reported that some shops hiking prices
tenfold were imposed huge fines. If most
businesses do this at a time of crisis, every-
one will suffer, including the unscrupulous
businesspeople themselves.
Unfortunately, rumors are being spread
on social media amid positive attitude and in-
formation, such as fake hospital documents
and screenshots of discussions among doc-
tors. In the Internet era, the negative impact
of misinformation can easily be multiplied.
Particularly, at a critical moment such as this,
rumor mongering can cause enormous
damage. Everyone is obligated to stop the
rumors they hear, or everyone will have to
bear the disastrous consequences.
In order to encourage people who may
be infected to go to hospital to get checked,
the government has decided that the state
will cover the fees, and no patient will have
to worry about medical expenses.
The epidemic is not only testing the
state system and medical staff, but also ev-
ery member of society. In order to win this
nationwide battle, no one should just stand
by, let alone spread misinformation and cre-
ate panic.
Ke Rui (www.gmw.cn): In the face of
the unknown, Chinese medical staff are
choosing to risk exposure to the new strain
of coronavirus to treat the infected. They
confront exhaustion and fear as they occupy
the frontlines of the battle. Thus, as the rest
of society hails them as heroes, it should also
pay more attention to the severe environ-
ment they are struggling in. At the beginning
of the outbreak, protective masks, goggles
and other medical resources were in short
supply in Wuhan and nearby cities, which
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health risks and death.
Currently, the battle is going on in an or-
derly way. Frontline medical staff have been
working around the clock for many days now,
so it’s time to give them a break so they can be
better prepared for the ongoing battle. Some
of them may even need psychological help.
A scientific and professional arrange-
ment for their work is more important than
ever before. It’s unknown when the epidemic
will be totally reined in, so it’s necessary to
standardize the anti-virus work of medical
staff, so that they can carry on the battle
effectively. Q