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Why is Europe not better prepared to face the coronavirus?

2020-03-07T01:22:22.108Z


More than two months after the first cases of coronavirus were reported in China, the number of infections in Europe exceeds 5,500. And there are those who ensure that the necessary aggressive measures ...


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Coronavirus is already "high risk" in Europe 0:30

(CNN) - Health ministers of the European Union held emergency talks Friday about the response to the outbreak of coronavirus that has spread to almost all of its 27 member states, while raising questions about the apparent lack of preparation in Europe .

  • LOOK: This map shows you the situation of the coronavirus in the world in real time

More than two months after the first known cases were reported in China, the number of confirmed infections in the member states of the European Union exceeded 5,500.

However, observers say that the aggressive measures necessary to prevent an epidemic have not yet materialized.

The Minister of Health of the Czech Republic, Adam Vojtěch, said before the meeting in Brussels this Friday that “the lack of protective masks and all the protection and disinfectant equipment” is “really worrying”. In that sense, he asked the European Commission to accelerate its acquisition process, something the executive power of the European Union indicated that it would do almost two weeks ago.

Spain, more than 300 cases of coronavirus 2:47

The European Union industry commissioner, Thierry Breton, issued a statement last Friday in which he asked the member states for information on the impacts on the supply chain over a month, but the problems came to light. week: in Germany, the Ministry of Health authorized pharmacies to mix disinfectant solutions on their own. In France, President Emmanuel Macron announced that the government would take control of the production and distribution of facial masks.

The continent could also face drug shortages due to problems related to pharmaceutical imports from China and India, the director of Public Health of the European Commission warned Thursday, a day after a European Union official had positive results for the coronavirus virus in Brussels.

"We have a problem with supply chains because of the situation in China and also the decision made yesterday by India regarding its pharmaceutical products and ingredients," said John Ryan.

  • READ: This is how the countries of the world respond to the outbreak of coronavirus

Many countries throughout Europe were already facing a shortage of drugs before the virus began, especially in respiratory medications, according to a report published by the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union (PGEU).

Even when the European Union tried to catch up with the outbreak, the virus affected its daily activities. A meeting of ambassadors of the block scheduled for this Friday was not held, after it was known that the Croatian representative had been in contact with a member of the European Union staff that was later confirmed to have contracted with the virus, an official told him from the EU to CNN.

Not everything is the fault of the European Union

How do you get the coronavirus? 1:54

If Europe is not prepared to face the coronovirus, the responsibility is not entirely of the European Union. Member states are responsible for their own health services and border policies. But officials in Brussels have warned that EU nations have not shared enough information among themselves or with the bloc itself.

The European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, urged member states on Friday to "share information with us and with each other about the measures taken and planned in their countries."

"Use the channels we have established to inform us about any need you may have and any additional support we can provide," said the official, adding that "we are all better protected if we all work together."

  • LOOK: The 7 myths about the coronavirus that you shouldn't believe ... or spread

Virus detection measures have varied in Europe. Aviation experts indicated that only a few countries require public health statements from passengers returning from severely affected places, such as China or Italy.

One of the reasons why many European countries have not imposed travel restrictions to the places most affected by the coronavirus is due to an international legal framework that governs the way in which nations respond to outbreaks, according to Dr. Osman Dar , public health expert at the British study center Chatham House.

Known as the International Health Regulations (IHR), the standard seeks to encourage countries to report new risks to international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), which can then launch a coordinated response.

This framework implies that “the countries that initially reported would be protected from trade and travel restrictions, and also from socio-economic effects,” Dar explained, describing the measure as a “kind of 'great pact'”.

What works to prevent you from coronavirus? 2:22

Dar also said that it would not be fair to compare Europe with other health systems: "China has responded [to the outbreak] with overwhelming speed and they are really the only country that can do it at that kind of scale."

Strong public health systems in Europe denote that their countries are more resistant than most, but still, the virus has apparently taken them, and the rest of the world, by surprise.

"We need to slow down the spread of this virus because health systems worldwide - and I mean north and south - are simply not prepared," said Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the World Organization's Emergency Program of Health, at a press conference this Friday.

This was evident in Italy, where Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte admitted that a hospital in the northern city of Codogno improperly handled the first case of coronavirus in the region and contributed to the spread of the deadly virus. Last week, Italian health officials warned that their hospitals were struggling with an "overcrowding crisis."

  • READ: 10 lessons from Asia on how to live with an outbreak of coronavirus

The same problem was initially observed in the Chinese province of Hubei, where the outbreak originated, a situation believed to have accelerated the spread of the virus in its early stages.

Italy has imposed some of the most restrictive measures in Europe to contain the spread, including the closure of cities in the north of the country and the national suspension of all schools and universities.

Other European countries have slowly begun to follow suit. Last Saturday, France banned public meetings with more than 5,000 people, according to Reuters, and as the number of cases in the United Kingdom increased, its government published its plan of action against the virus on Tuesday.

Diseases masks Disease Prevention European Union

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2020-03-07

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