Make America healthy again!

（By John Gong  Source:《Global Times》2020-03-05）

A notice showing "facial masks are out of stock" is seen on a door of a pharmacy in New York, US, on February 29, 2020. Photo: Xinhua

It is clear that the number of infected COVID-19 cases in the US has been grossly underestimated. 

The problem, as has been heatedly debated on cable news in recent days, is with respect to the testing kits provided by the federal government. Only a few hundred tests have been conducted so far and many proved inaccurate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) admitted as much that on February 12, attributing the problem to one of the substances used in the test that "wasn't performing consistently." Dr Matt McCarthy, an emergency respiratory disease doctor from a hospital in New York City went on CNBC's Squawk Box to state, "That is a national scandal. They are testing 10,000 cases a day in some countries, and we can't get this off the ground."

In the meantime, the Democrats are smelling blood, amid hectic primary campaign of an election year. The Trump administration's coronavirus handling issue is becoming a political weapon used by the Democrats in the hope of taking down this president, who has even called the coronavirus a Democrats' "hoax." Instead of mobilizing national resources to combat the vicious disease, Washington politicians have chosen to play political games.

American people need help. American people don't deserve this. And I think China can donate a number of COVID-19 testing kits to Washington on an emergency basis.

Let us be honest here. Yes, China-US relations have been on a rocky road lately. The current US administration has waged a trade war against China, imposing horrendous tariffs on Chinese products. It has suppressed Huawei in all possible ways. And recently it imposed personnel cap on Chinese media outlets' operation in the US. 

When they go low, we reciprocate by going higher. We need to save lives. Every human being on this planet, no matter their ethnicity, political belief or religious faith  is worth our effort. 

Making America healthy again is indeed in the interest of China. China's economy can't ramp up again if the rest of the world continues to slide into the abyss of a dangerous epidemic. 

Some people may question why we should do this amid the challenges we are facing at home. Let me say that extending a helping hand to America is indeed possible because our infection numbers are coming down dramatically, and our testing kits are well-proven after tens of thousands tests.

There were just 139 new cases reported in China on Wednesday and the number outside Hubei Province is five. Apparently, we do not have the need for the quantities of testing kits that were required at the height of the contagion. I am sure we have the capacity to meet the domestic need and provide the donation to other countries that need them.

The author is a research fellow at The Charhar Institute and professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. opinion@gobaltimes.com.cn 

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