Am J Trop Med Hyg. How Is the World Responding to the 2019 Coronavirus Disease Compared with the 2014 West African Ebola Epidemic? The Importance of China as a Player in the Global Economy

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Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Mar 11. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0135. [Epub ahead of print] How Is the World Responding to the 2019 Coronavirus Disease Compared with the 2014 West African Ebola Epidemic? The Importance of China as a Player in the Global Economy.

Maffioli EM¹.
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Abstract

This article describes similarities and differences in the response of governments and the international community to the current 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the 2014 West African Ebola epidemic. It expresses the opinion that the speed and scale of the response to the 2019 COVID-19 are affected by the important role that China plays in the global economy. By contrast, insufficient and less timely action was initially undertaken in West African countries during the 2014 Ebola epidemic. It concludes by stating why preparedness for and response to all disease outbreaks, also in countries of lower economic importance, should become a priority in the global health agenda.


PMID: 32162604 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0135