Coronavirus (COVID-19) Discussion Thread

[Mnementh]

SvennoJ said:

Vietnam is doing really well for its size, only 1500 cases and 35 deaths on a population of 96 million.

Their strategy obviously works, if it's one you would want to live in is a different question
https://thediplomat.com/2020/10/vietnams-war-against-covid-19/

Yet there are parallels with New Zealand and Taiwam

Other countries, such as Taiwan and New Zealand, have likewise been remarkably successful in cultivating high levels of social cohesion, which helped to keep the pandemic at bay. No matter what the means are, it is clear that those who stay united manage to persevere in the face of the hardest situations.

Clear and consistent messaging bordering on indoctrination together with strong social cohesion is what works. Shouting fake news and standing up for your rights not to wear a mask, does not help.

I was always impressed by Vietnams success in fighting this natural disaster. The country is poorer and more densely populated than most european countries. As a neighbor with close economic bonds to China it was affected early on. Yet Vietnam was able to get through it mostly unscathed.

And I think early and consistent messaging is one of the key areas here. You want to secure cooperation of the population, and while you can fine people breaking the rules, it is much more effective to start guifing them early on with clear and consistent messages. For instance, this song was from February subtitled in many languages (at a time here in europe everyone painted it as an asian problem and the governmental messaging was that our health system is great and nobody needs to worry):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtulL3oArQw&ab_channel=MINOFFICIAL

international variant in english: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGoodWEtV8c

That already takes the fight against the epidemic as a serious issue that everyone is involved in and communicates the main methods: hand washing, not touching the face, avoiding crowds, and the video shows consistent mask usage. People are fast to point out that Vietnam is a totalitarian state, and sure enforcing their methods with police and military was a factor. But having songs like these in February officially circulated is far from totalitarian and would have changed already a lot for other countries.