Summary
The documentary features interviews with a variety of experts, doctors, and nurses from different countries. They all discuss the actions that have been taken by state leaders during the coronavirus outbreaks. The video describes how the healthcare systems in China, Korea, Iran, Italy, and, above all, America reacted to the situation. The first few minutes are devoted to the beginning of the China epidemic and the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan. For a long time, the Chinese government did not recognize the possible threat. It refused to confirm the human-to-human transmission of the virus, which led to the impossibility of localizing the epidemic. Furthermore, through international flights, the coronavirus reached America; however, the country “was not prepared for a pandemic like this one” (“The Virus: What Went Wrong?” 00:18:23). The government and President Trump also long denied the seriousness of the threat, which later led to massive casualties and an overloaded healthcare system.
Asian countries are pictured as examples of a timely and quick response to the epidemic. The documentary shows the South Korean government’s actions as an example of what should have been done around the world. South Koreans quickly developed a sufficient number of effective tests, which allowed them to check many people, isolating sick ones and preventing the spread of the coronavirus. Iran, for a long time, refused to take action due to “a mixture of religion and national pride” (“The Virus: What Went Wrong?” 00:37:35). The pilgrimage, including people from China, led to a virus outbreak that has become one of the world’s largest. Then, the epidemic reached Europe, where the population of Italy was affected the most. The fight against coronavirus was entrusted to local authorities, refusing to control the situation at the state level, leading to many cases of infection. The documentary emphasizes that America was still inactive in preparation for the epidemic when the countries above were suffering from the virus.
Analysis
The documentary focuses on the American and world governments’ actions in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic and the consequences of certain decisions. Above all, the inaction and failure to consolidate efforts and resources to prevent the disease’s spread are considered. It is noted that America “lost the time gained from the early warning coming out of China” (“The Virus: What Went Wrong?” 00:20:24). First, public health advisers did not report for a long time about President Trump’s real threat, saying that the situation was under control. Secondly, the president himself was “busy securing a big trade deal with China” (“The Virus: What Went Wrong?”, 00:17:43). Thus, no measures were implemented to stop the virus from spreading in the territory of the state. The American authorities failed to react to the threat as well as their Chinese counterparts did. Consequently, this has left the health system unprepared for the outbreak.
Ignoring the need to fight the pandemic has led to dire consequences relevant already for many months. Experts note that preventive measures, testing, and isolation of the infected could lower the number of deaths from the coronavirus by 83% (“The Virus: What Went Wrong?” 01:19:21). However, the US government has failed to develop enough effective virus-checking measures as in South Korea. Together with the denial of the significance of the situation, the events developed in a dramatic scenario. It is also essential that President Trump denied that “there was a shortage of health care financing” (“The Virus: What Went Wrong?” 01:08:07). Thus, the number of infection cases increased, and health workers were unable to identify them, which contributed to the virus’s spread. Moreover, many of the poor communities representing a significant part of America’s population had limited access to health care. Celebrities without symptoms could be tested, while ordinary citizens were deprived of this opportunity. Therefore, the current picture of the epidemic indicates the state of the health system and, above all, the government’s priorities.
Evaluation
The film effectively illustrates the process of the coronavirus spread on a global scale. The need and importance of preparing for an epidemic and preventing outbreaks are also emphasized, using the examples of Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Taiwan, where the number of cases was minimal. Special attention is given to the idea to fight in a “coherent and integrated way” (“The Virus: What Went Wrong?” 00:46:45). The documentary displays how crucial the actions of one country are for all others. For instance, China’s example and the government’s long denial of the problem show how inaction leads to outbreaks. The warning that was later received by America from Chinese scientists was also ignored, leading to the disease’s spread. Therefore, if world leaders had taken the threat seriously and begun to work together to prevent it, the picture might have been different.
Many experts participating in the film emphasize the need for comprehensive actions by the government and societies in preparing and responding to pandemics. The Ebola outbreak in Africa a few years ago is cited as a warning episode that should have spurred investment in health care and epidemiological research and prevention. Then, the Obama administration created The National Security Council, aimed at developing measures to combat a possible epidemic in the future because “respiratory pandemic is going to be so much worse” (“The Virus: What Went Wrong?” 00:44:10). This action seems right and far-sighted as, in the event of an unexpected outbreak, the healthcare system will be ready. However, the program was soon restructured, and it ceased to work on the issue. Thus, the abandonment of investments in prevention leads to the current scenario, when medical workers cannot test the population and provide assistance to those already infected.
The government should take certain steps to prepare for and combat the spread of the infection. First of all, countries should investigate the global epidemiological situation to identify quickly it and develop testing measures in case of a threat. Second, they need to support an authority whose only responsibility would be monitoring potential outbreaks and planning a response to them. Third, it is necessary to pay more attention to the health care system, since ” the public health workforce has been underinvested for decades” (“The Virus: What Went Wrong?” 00:36:35). Thus, the authorities need to recognize the experience and focus not only on current problems but also on potential ones.
In such conditions, cooperation and an increase in global authority acquire a special role. The spread of the disease in one country leads to a worldwide epidemic, which occurred in the coronavirus case. American health workers are forced to compete for resources to provide care because there is no centralized government. Also, Italian cities cope with the coronavirus separately, which leads to a large number of infections. On the contrary, South Korea maintains control over the entire country, as a result of which their systems are coordinated and effective. Therefore, the whole world needs to consolidate efforts to combat the epidemic, listen to centralized authorities such as the World Health Organization, and build a global strategy for protection and prevention. Thus, joint research and equitable provision of resources can reduce the threat since the aggravation of one region’s situation will inevitably lead to the spread of the coronavirus to other countries.
Work Cited
“The Virus: What Went Wrong? (full film) | FRONTLINE.” YouTube, uploaded by FRONTLINE PBS | Official, 2020, Web.