Scientist Chung Nam Son, the hero of China in the fight against SARS, once called the crisis a "turning point" for the nation.

"SARS forces the nation to pay attention to the lives of its people," he said during the 10th anniversary of the SARS crisis that broke out in 2003. "We have made great progress, but our footsteps are still very slow, especially medically ".

As the Wuhan pneumonia outbreak is spreading throughout China and globally causing 25 deaths, China is facing a test of how it has changed since 2003, both in terms of its ability to react. of the health system, and how the central government handles the crisis.

Speaking this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded "all his best" to stop the spread of the virus and treat infected people. He seems to want to deliver a clear message: mistakes from the time of the SARS crisis (severe acute respiratory syndrome) will not be repeated.

Wuhan pneumonia is the latest crisis facing Xi, when he was "headache" with issues such as the US-China trade war, protests in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Xi is the Chinese leader who has put the most power in his hands since the time of Mao Zedong. Although this gives him great control, it also means that every crisis is a test of his leadership.

Since Xi's call, efforts to control viruses have been intensified nationwide. Health authorities demand the highest level of response, which is often used to treat plague or cholera. On January 23, Wuhan City, with 11 million people in central China, where the outbreak began, was blocked, and public transport was banned from moving the city.

Pandemic pneumonia may be China's opportunity to dispel the specter of SARS. However, it is also exposed that after 17 years, the underlying gaps still exist when dealing with the crisis and this situation could lead to a much greater danger in the future.

The first case of SARS was identified in southern China in November 2002. 8,000 people subsequently became ill worldwide, mostly in China.

However, even as the disease spread throughout Guangdong province, Chinese media were censored, patients and family members were prevented from talking about the disease. Officials lower the severity of the problem because they do not want to harm the economy and "social stability" - important measures for them to be promoted.

It was not until Chiang Yan Yong, a retired Chinese military doctor, exposing this cover in early 2003 that most of China and the rest of the world were aware of the real danger. But by then SARS had spread. The World Health Organization (WHO) declares the virus a "global threat" and efforts to stop the spread are promoted worldwide.

In the following months, the Chinese government formally apologized for the slow reporting of the epidemic and its health minister and mayor of Beijing were dismissed.

Chinese provinces have reported cases of Wuhan pneumonia. Graphics: CNN.

In the current crisis, China on the surface seems to handle a lot better than SARS. Officials in Wuhan warned the public about a new virus in mid-December, right after the first cases were identified. Mr. Xi's statement 4 weeks later strongly promoted the reaction of the localities and the danger level of the disease was made public.

However, there is a problem hidden behind. China has the proverb "the sky is high, the emperor is far away". Although power is concentrated in the central government, local governments do not always act as Beijing wants. Central requirements such as handling corruption, limiting pollution or increasing transparency are not always taken seriously by provinces.

There are signs that officials in Wuhan have lowered the risk of the virus for a few weeks, causing a delay in stopping the spread. Although the first case was discovered on December 8, it was not until January 14 that officials in Wuhan launched a public inspection to detect infected people. In the midst of the crisis, a large party meeting in Hubei Province was still held in Wuhan and more than 40,000 families were invited to attend a party in an effort to set a world record.

Speaking to state media, Wuhan officials lowered the danger, saying the virus was unlikely to be passed from person to person. State officials initially repeated the assessment: Wang Shich Phat, head of a team of researchers sent by Beijing to investigate the situation, on 11 January saying that the disease was under control. However, he himself was later diagnosed with a viral infection.

The Wuhan government also tried to control discussions about the virus. State media reported police arrested eight people in early January for spreading "rumors" that the virus was associated with SARS. Health authorities later confirmed that both diseases were caused by the corona virus.

Even if researchers in the UK estimate that a pandemic could affect at least 1,700 people, no new cases have been reported in Wuhan, although cases have been detected in other countries. "Does the virus only affect foreign visitors?" One asked sarcastically on social media.

It was only when inspectors from Beijing assessed the situation that a proper alert was issued. In an interview with state-run CCTV, Chung Nam Son confirmed the disease "transmitted from person to person" and warned the infection rate was very high.

Countries with patients infected with Wuhan pneumonia virus. Click on the image to see it in full.

Speaking to state media this week, Wuhan Mayor Chu Tien Vuong acknowledged the city's warning was "not enough".

Whether this problem is due to bureaucracy or political motivations, the delay comes at a time that can't be worse: the "spring" season is underway, hundreds of millions of people move across the country, jostling Wish each other on the trains, buses and airplanes to return home on Tet.

The blockade of Wuhan was not issued until January 23, January 29. A woman diagnosed with a viral infection in South Korea said she had visited Wuhan but was allowed to leave and leave China.

The censorship of newspapers and the internet in China has delayed the spread of information, and people can only rely on official sources in the hope that officials will disclose it publicly.

When Xi issued a "full power" statement, the move was considered a "green light" for Chinese media to report on the Wuhan virus. Reporters quickly arrived at the outbreak, Caixin and Beijing News published in-depth articles, some of which exposed poor local government handling. Writing on WeChat from Wuhan, Caixin reporter Gao Yu compared the current situation to the SARS crisis, saying that "the lack of transparency, public scrutiny and truth have caused great damage to public safety". .

After the SARS crisis, China learned the lesson of being open and transparent about information. However, Xi's policies such as centralized power, censorship of information and a fierce anti-corruption campaign have made many localities fearful of making Beijing angry so they do not dare to publicize their policies. negative information.

Like the proverb, Xi was "far away" from the local government and could not quickly grasp the information. "The Wuhan plague shows what happens when the country relies on cutting information, reporting slowly to senior leaders before adequate remedies can be taken," James Griffiths said. , a CNN commentator wrote.