
Taiwan says WHO failed to act on coronavirus transmission warning - haltingproblem
https://www.ft.com/content/2a70a02a-644a-11ea-a6cd-df28cc3c6a68
======
haltingproblem
I am neither Taiwanese or Chinese and have no dog in that fight except as it
pertains to avoiding pandemics.

Taiwanese friends tell me that during the SARS outbreak, China refused to
share data with them which it shared with every other country. Taiwan was hit
very hard because they were flying blind. This led them to establish
independent monitoring and early warning systems since they have extensive
trade and cultural links with China and large numbers of travelers.

The current VP of Taiwan is an epidemiologist who was the health minister
during the SARs outbreak and their current response has been one of the most
effective (108 cases, 1 death).

Every country would want to work with Taiwan on this issue not ostracize them
like the WHO. They are like a monitoring and early-warning system for these
kinds of pathogens coming out of China.

~~~
NicoJuicy
Since China didn't share that information with Taiwan, i'd believe it's not
the same country and they proved it by behaving like this.

And all sources that put Taiwan as a province of China should change it.

( Won't happen though)

~~~
hker
Probably relevant, about how others should treat Taiwan, especially how WHO is
treating Taiwan:

A journalist asked World Health Organization’s assistant director-general
Bruce Aylward whether the UN body would reconsider Taiwan’s membership, got
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear your question… let’s move to another one then…”;
and when the journalist asked to comment on Taiwan’s effort, got “we’ve
already talked about China.”

[1]:
[https://twitter.com/emilyrauhala/status/1243905923048976384](https://twitter.com/emilyrauhala/status/1243905923048976384)

(Which is supporting your “Won't happen though”.)

~~~
kalleboo
After that interview, Bruce Aylward has now been removed from the WHO website
[https://twitter.com/anangbhai/status/1243947028582993921](https://twitter.com/anangbhai/status/1243947028582993921)

~~~
tim333
Shows how much they kowtow to China that even being asked about Taiwan and not
answering gets him delisted.

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enitihas
Is the WHO even relevant? The WHO is not a sovereign authority, and has proven
to not be independent too. They have been lying the entire time. Their
statements

1\. No evidence of human to human transmission

2\. No need to ban travel from China. Ineffective

3\. It is not a pandemic

4\. Some twitter threads who WHO adding traditional chinese medicine in their
list of medicines for COVID-19 in their chinese language posts.

5\. Masks do not work.

If the WHO can't be independent, can't say things truly, and they never had
any sovereign authority to begin with, what good exactly are they?

~~~
siv-
Could you provide links for those statements?

~~~
artwr
1\.
[https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1217043229427761152](https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1217043229427761152)

2\. [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-who-
idUSKBN1...](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-who-
idUSKBN1ZX1H3)

3\. [https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/04/health/who-coronavirus-not-
pa...](https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/04/health/who-coronavirus-not-
pandemic/index.html)

Can't comment on 4.

5\. it's a little bit complicated as I believe they are just not recommending
masks unless you are sick or caring for the sick.

~~~
LatteLazy
1 is a Chinese statement, who are just re-reporting...

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haltingproblem
TIL: The head of the WHO, "Dr" Tedros is not a medical doctor but has a Ph.D.
in health. He was previously the health minister of Ethiopia and China was
instrumental in getting him elected. Fun fact: He tried to get Robert Mugabe
elected as a goodwill ambassador for the WHO.

Source: [https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/china-helped-put-
man-...](https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/china-helped-put-man-charge-
world-health-organization%E2%80%94-it-paying-136002)

------
neonate
[https://archive.md/cQl0E](https://archive.md/cQl0E)

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robocat
No paywall: [http://archive.md/cQl0E](http://archive.md/cQl0E)

Aside: perhaps FT could chip in with the rest of the world here by making any
of their articles about coronavirus open access...

Edit: curious about downvotes - it’s my first time circumventing a paywall.
Disclaimer: I would describe myself as a capitalist hippie.

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mensetmanusman
That’s because they were busy praising China for getting so efficient at
oppressing their population.

