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China has effectively overcome Covid-19.

The first case of the disease on the globe was reported in Wuhan, a city in Hubei Province in central China in December last year. No one knew about the disease then, so for China it must have been a confusing, frightening challenge, having to deal with an unknown, fast-spreading infection that was sickening and killing scores daily.

In responding to the crisis the way it did, China learnt on the job, so to speak, and did so remarkably well. Wuhan was put under lockdown. Testing and treatment services were expanded. We all watched in awe as that 1 000-bed hospital to treat the sick was built in that city within 10 days in February, the month when infections peaked.

China has been reporting zero coronavirus deaths this week. On Tuesday, the National Health Commission reported it had 32 confirmed cases, down from 39 on Monday.

All the 32 confirmed cases were imported.

From Wednesday, authorities started allowing people in Wuhan to leave the city for the first time since the lockdown started on January 23. This marked a dramatic two or so months for China where the novel disease killed about 3 330 people from 81 740 to have been confirmed as infected.

With the disease now by and large overcome, China is stressing over imported Covid-19 cases, just a few weeks after we saw despicable attacks on Chinese people in some European cites as citizens in those countries stigmatised the Chinese.

Also, Beijing has started donating medicines, masks, gloves and equipment to Europe and Africa. Last month, the African Union received 2 000 test kits from the Chinese government and was expecting another 10 000 along with other crucial medical supplies needed to fight the spread of Covid-19 across the continent.

Beijing is also providing technical support. The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention recently deployed a senior technical advisor to Africa’s Centre for Disease Control to closely work with local experts. More Chinese health experts are on their way to various African countries.

To support their government, Chinese businesspeople in that country and others operating here have been assisting too.

Mr Jack Ma, the Chinese billionaire donated, through his Jack Ma Foundation, a total of 1, 1 million coronavirus test kits, six million masks and 60 000 medical protective suits and face shields to the African continent. Each of the continent’s 54 countries has received an equal share.

Zimbabwe appreciates this assistance.

We reported on Tuesday that Zimbabwe is set to receive another consignment of laboratory diagnostic test kits, medical face masks, protective suits and face shields, including the much-needed ventilators from Mr Ma’s foundation. The donation will help in strengthening and intensifying surveillance, laboratory  testing and case management of Covid-19 in the country.

On Monday, President Mnangagwa received another donation of face masks from a Chinese-owned company, Timber Care to assist in curbing Covid-19.

Last weekend, Wilkins Hospital in Harare opened for Covid-19 patients after a group of Chinese businesspeople operating locally refurbished the facility. They spent US$500 000 to upgrade the hospital over 18 days. Wilkins became the first and biggest centre to isolate and treat the disease in the country.
China’s Deputy Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Zhao Baogang, in the latest edition of The Sunday Mail pledged more assistance for Zimbabwe to fight the pandemic.

He said the embassy was coordinating with Chinese companies in Zimbabwe and China, as well as the Chinese Government for further assistance to Zimbabwe.

“There are going to be more consignments coming to Zimbabwe,” he said. “There is a lot of mobilising that we are doing with companies based here as well as those based in Beijing. Covid-19 is a common enemy and we will continue to provide support. We are also mindful that when China was the epicentre of the virus, President Mnangagwa sent his solidarity message to President Xi Jinping.

“Now that the situation is getting better in China, we owe it to Zimbabwe to assist in fighting the spread of the virus. In China life has returned to normal for 90 percent of the cities. The lockdown has been lifted in many places so it is now our duty to help other countries in fighting the virus.”

The support that has been extended to our country over the past few weeks to help curb the spread of the infection is welcome. That aid is much more welcome given that before those interventions, our country did not have a facility with the correct technology to handle Covid-19 cases. It was going to be potentially difficult for us to upgrade Wilkins in such a short period but thanks to the Chinese businesspeople, the work was done so fast.

“Turn to China,” Econet founder, Mr Strive Masiyiwa wrote on his blog recently.

“Our Chinese friends have the capacity and the reach to help us in this situation. We need things like Test Equipment, PPE, Ventilators, beds, and even field hospitals and clinics. They also have the technical and clinical expertise. They are our friends, don’t let anyone fool you otherwise – China is our friend, Let’s appeal to them in a coordinated way.”

He is right.

The support that our country has received and will soon receive from the Asian economic giant as Mr Zhao promised is commendable but one very important lesson we can learn from China’s exemplary response to Covid-19 is how Chinese discipline contributed to their victory over the disease.

When Wuhan was put under lockdown for 77 days, no Chinese protested about their “human rights” being curtailed. The lockdown was religiously obeyed.

Everyone remained indoors as ordered recognising that, ultimately the order was effected to protect their health as individuals.

Yet some of our people are complaining about being “fatigued” having been indoors for a mere 10 days!