Since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, my country has decisively implemented a large-scale isolation policy, which is a necessary measure in preventing and controlling infectious disease epidemics, but it has been ridiculed and even stigmatized by Western countries. When the West also began to have an outbreak of the epidemic, they were still reluctant to be quarantine policies. For example, Italians even took to the streets to protest against freedom without wearing masks. This seems incredible to us, but these people do think they have been treated "unfairly".
This is a cultural difference, and cultural differences are caused by the continuous accumulation of historical concepts. The reason why Western countries believe that isolation of inhumanity is because they have done countless inhumane things to patients in history.
Ancient Greek EraThe hostility of the West toward the patient
Western civilization originated from Greece , and the abuse and hostility of the patients also emerged from Greece. In the Greek concept, health is the best, while the sick, the disabled and the weak are the scum of society. These people should not expect to be cared for by society or taken care of by others.
Before patients recover from their health, they have no human rights. Patients will find themselves abominable objects of society. Sadly, patients do not hate diseases, but their "inferiority". Ancient Western civilization was also deeply influenced by the Middle East culture. This concept was put forward in the Bible Old Testament written by the ancient Semites and later Hebrews. The reason why people feel pain and illness is because they did not follow God devoutly and did bad things. Therefore, illness is a punishment for these people, punishing their personal, family and even the entire clan. This concept is so ruthless that patients are easily isolated by society and end up in depression.
In various senses, the Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries AD) were the darkest eras in Europe, especially in public health. From kings to serfs, there was no concept of hygiene. Many people probably never took a bath several times in their lives. Under such harsh sanitary conditions, it is not surprising that diseases such as smallpox, plague, (Black Death) are simply not surprising.
But the ridiculous thing is that people are more worried about leprosy than smallpox and plague, because the highly contagious skin diseases from the tropical regions will make your appearance extremely ugly, and this change is lifelong and irreversible. The medieval doctors were helpless about this, and the main affairs of the society had to adopt isolation in order to prevent the spread of this disease, and this isolation was lifelong.
The most stringent place for life isolation is today Italy, where leprosy is determined to be very strict and solemn, because this judgment will determine whether a person will become a "living dead" in the future. The right to judge is not something that a doctor can decide, but a group of doctors and a lawyer. After being judged as leprosy, he will be permanently expelled from normal society, and they must swear to abide by the following ban:
1. Never enter churches, markets, mills, bakeries and any public meetings;
2. Never wash hands or things in spring water. You must use cups or other utensils when you want to drink water;
3. You must wear leprosy clothes no matter where you go, so that others can know that you are leprosy and you must not go barefoot when you go out;
4. No matter how much you buy, you can only touch it indirectly with a pole;
5. You are not allowed to enter the tavern. You can only put wine in a bottle and drink it.
6. You cannot touch any woman/man, including your wife/husband.
7. When someone talks to you, you must go to the wind.
8. You must wear gloves when crossing the bridge to touch the railing.
9. You cannot eat with others except for lepers;
10. After death, you cannot get the funeral ceremony of the church, and you will not be buried in the church cemetery.(That is, it cannot go to heaven)
Christianity has a profound influence on the West. One of the main reasons is that it has a soothing effect on the hearts of believers. In general, the church advocates sympathy for patients and pray for them. This concept has been inherited, especially after the rapid development of Western medicine, which has been sublimated into a political correctness, that is, patients should not be isolated when they are sick, but find ways to treat them. Just like leprosy back then, after the advancement of medical means, leprosy patients can also return to society and no longer be discriminated against.
The strong position of the West in modern times has made Westerners look down on people in other regions. Many Westerners are bewitched by politicians and media, and they also believe that China is a country with worrying health conditions like India. When thinking of its past history, they take it for granted that China's isolation policy is an inhumane behavior, and China needs to reflect on its own sanitary conditions. This is the origin of Western prejudice.
This stupid prejudice also happened to teach Western countries a lesson during this COVID-19 epidemic. They believe that the reason why China has had the outbreak of COVID-19 is because of its poor medical standards. This disease is fully capable of eliminating even if it enters its own country. Because of this idea, these Western countries are watching jokes waiting to see China. However, with the outbreak of the Diamond Princess cruise ship , Western countries realized that something was wrong, because Japan has always been regarded as a world model student of medical care in the past, and even the United States and Europe are not as good as Japan. But it was precisely this model student who messed up the epidemic on the cruise ship. Not only did he not stop the epidemic, but he still had a tendency to spread, and even Japanese epidemic prevention personnel were infected. I think everyone knows the story of the later story. Italy, South Korea, , Iran, and other countries have become hard-hit areas, while the United States is still rising rapidly under insufficient testing. After the tide is receding, the West then realizes that it is the person swimming naked. Looking back, there is nothing, there is no testing reagent, there is not enough medical staff, and there is no factory for masks to be made. In contrast, China has turned passive into activeness. Although there are a large number of patients, we also have rich experience and countermeasures.
