The number of confirmed cases of new coronavirus pneumonia in the world has exceeded 1 million, with more than 50,000 deaths. As hospitals are overwhelmed around the world, people were asking is there any place in the world that has not been affected by the new coronavirus?
According to Johns Hopkins University data, as of April 2, 19 of the 193 member states of the United Nations have not had confirmed cases, most of which are inaccessible island states.
However, experts warn that it may only be a matter of time before these countries being affected.
Which countries have not been affected?
According to the BBC, these 19 countries include Comoros, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, North Korea, Palau, Samoa, Sao Tome, and Principe, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Tajikistan, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Yemen, and Vanuatu.
However, according to the latest news from Reuters, Malawi also reported not long ago that there were three confirmed cases in the country for the first time. One of them has a history of travel in India and the other two are close contacts.
This also means that with the passage of time, there will be fewer and fewer countries that have not "fallen".
Experts believe that among the countries that have not yet confirmed cases, some countries may not have disclosed the relevant cases.
However, in some countries, the virus may indeed have not yet arrived. Most countries are small islands and there are few tourists. According to data from the United Nations, 7 of the world ’s top 10 least visited countries have not yet been diagnosed.
At this moment when all countries are implementing social isolation guidelines, the island nation itself can complete "self-isolation."
Nauru is an island country that is "isolated". Nauru is located on the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by the sea. The nearest land around is Kiribati ’s Banaba Island, but it is also 320 kilometers apart.
As far as land is concerned, Nauru is the second-smallest country among United Nations Member States, only slightly larger than Monaco. Nauru also has a population of 10,000, where tourists are scarce, and the number of tourists per year is only about 160.
However, although Nauru is isolated, the local medical system is also very worrying. Nauru has only one hospital, nurses are scarce, and there is no ventilator. Therefore, it cannot take risks.
This is why Nauru has banned travelers from China, South Korea, and Italy since March 2. In mid-March, Nauru Airlines also suspended flights to Fiji, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands.
The only remaining route to Brisbane has also been reduced from three times a week to once every two weeks.
In addition, all people from Australia to Nauru (mainly returning residents) are also required to be quarantined at local hotels for 14 days. If symptoms occur, the relevant personnel's test box will be sent to Australia for analysis.
Like Nauru, Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu, and other Pacific island countries have also declared a state of emergency and prepared in advance to fight the epidemic.
"There is no doubt that their best option is to keep the virus out of the door," said Colin Tukuitonga, associate dean of the University of Auckland School of Medicine and former World Health Organization Commissioner.
Tukui Tonga believes that once the virus spreads in the island countries, the situation will become very bad. Pacific island countries generally do not have a sound health system, and islanders are in poor physical condition, with a high proportion of patients suffering from diabetes, heart disease and chest diseases.
"These places are small and fragile, and if the epidemic breaks out there, the population will decrease dramatically."
If an outbreak occurs in a Pacific island country, they can only send the patient abroad for medical treatment, but in the current situation where countries are blocking the border, this matter is easier said than done.
Tukoutonga believes that the best option is to keep the confirmed cases as "zero" for as long as possible. "In the past, isolation in the Pacific Ocean was the biggest problem for these island countries, but now, it has become a kind of protection."
Compared with solitary island nations in the Pacific Ocean, countries bordering on land are at significantly higher risk of infection.
For example, Malawi, located in southeastern Africa, was "fallen" yesterday and announced the first confirmed cases of new coronavirus pneumonia.
The country with a population of 18 million has previously declared a "catastrophic state" and canceled all visas issued by March 20, but it still cannot stop the virus.
Peter MacPherson, a public health expert at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, believes that Malawi has one to two weeks of preparation time compared to other countries, which is very valuable. He is also "very confident" in the country's response to the new coronavirus pneumonia.
However, McPherson has previously stated that it is only a matter of time before a confirmed case in Malawi appears. He also believes that eventually the new coronavirus will spread to all countries.
Another "zero confirmed" country that has received much attention is North Korea.
According to Newsweek, North Korea is one of the first countries in the world to start closing borders and take measures to fight the epidemic. In mid-March, Pyongyang health officials said that thousands of quarantined persons had been released, none of them were diagnosed, and hundreds were still under observation and isolation.
Last week, North Korean officials also announced a series of new measures, including stricter controls on water tanks and reservoirs, and thorough disinfection of banknotes.
However, according to the Guardian, Robert Abrams, the highest US military commander in South Korea, said on the 2nd that Pyongyang ’s claims about undiagnosed cases were “untrue”, “based on what we saw Intelligence, this is an impossible proposition. "
Is there a place to avoid disaster?
In the winter of 1919, the third wave of Spanish flu spread worldwide, from the Eskimo tribe in Alaska to Samoa in the central Pacific.
However, at the time, the Malaro Island at the mouth of the Amazon was the only human gathering place in the world with no reports of infection. Malaro is also the largest island in the world completely surrounded by freshwater.
This time, which parts of the world may be spared?
Andy Tatem, professor of space population and epidemiology at the University of Southampton, believes that the most likely is the very remote islands in the South Pacific.
But he also pointed out that in a globalized economy, he is not sure that there is any place to escape this infectious disease.
Tatum said the closure measures may work, but they cannot last forever. "Most of these countries depend on the outside world to some extent, whether it is food, commodities or tourism.
Some countries also want to export their own goods. They have the possibility of the full blockade, but this will cause losses. Eventually they will have to open again. "
Tatum also warned that the current confirmed cases have not yet reached the peak. He predicts that people will have to coexist with this virus, which may last a long time.
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