Why Scientific Cooperation Is a Must

　　China’s battle against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has now seen progress. While health workers deserve the most credit for their contributions, the community of scientists has also provided powerful support. President Xi Jinping, who inspected research, diagnosis and treatment facilities of COVID-19 in Beijing, acknowledged the contribution of experts and researchers who are also on the frontline of the battle.

　　Soon after the outbreak of the new virus, scientists separated the strain and identifi ed its complete genetic sequence. They also established a method to confirm if a person has been infected with a nucleic acid test, which has provided a scientifi c basis for medical treatment and epidemic control plans.

　　Related government departments have organized interdisciplinary research teams for developing vaccines and testing treatment technologies and products. Advanced technologies such as big data, artifi cial intelligence and deploying drones are being widely used to prevent the virus from spreading. Within a month, there has been significant progress in the battle, highlighting the power of science and technology.

　　The World Health Organization’s team of experts who came to China to assess the situation spoke highly of China’s prevention measures and showed keen interest in the technologies used to fi ght the epidemic.

　　Despite the improved situation, the battle is not yet fully won. Scientists are racing to come up with more test kits and protective equipment, while research has been accelerated to discover safe and effective vaccines and medicines.

　　However, COVID-19 outbreaks are now being reported across the world, emphasizing the grim fact that for the entire human race, infectious diseases and biosafety dangers still remain the biggest threats.

　　The effects of China’s epidemic control indicate that faced with public health threats, both medical workers and scientists are indispensable. To tackle common challenges, cooperation among scientists from across the world is necessary.

　　The international community must lay aside differences in races, cultures and ideology. Instead, following the thought that all human share a common future, they should jointly enhance epidemic prevention control as well as public health research. This should be based on the principles of combining prevention with emergency response, and scientific research with treatment and prevention.

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