How did China avoid a second wave of COVID-19? By Nicolas Petit, Teacher/Researcher in Management Control at KEDGE, Franco-Chinese Institute of Renmin University of China
The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hit the northern hemisphere hard. In some countries, leaders chose to (re)confine the population, which was difficult to implement due to the economic and psychological implications.
But things were not the same everywhere – especially in China, where the second wave has yet to hit. Nicolas Petit and coauthor Fabien M. Gargam analyse how they pulled off this feat.
China’s initial bet
The epidemic broke out about one year ago in China. Struck suddenly, China swiftly took drastic action, with a strict quarantine of the worst-hit areas, the closure of businesses, a travel ban between cities and provinces, daily body temperature checks, among other measures.
This radical response, at a time when the epidemic had a high transmission risk but a low mortality rate, was a gamble: doing everything possible to stem the epidemic, even if it meant temporarily sacrificing the country’s economic growth to avoid long-term damage.
Lessons from the past
In 2003, the SARS outbreak hit Guangdong Province in the southeast of the country. China’s poor handling of that crisis and the unpreparedness of its health system, which drew international scrutiny, forced the country to reform its health policy.
China established a Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) based on the US model and funded it with considerable resources.
The Chinese authorities never again wanted to be discredited in the eyes of the world, just as their country was growing in power on the international stage.
A country prepared for a potential viral outbreak
When the epidemic broke out in January 2020, China already had a fully operational, well-resourced health plan in place.
- A huge number of civil servants and local employees working with public safety and neighbourhood committees oversaw the quarantine and restrictions on movement.
- The hyperconnectivity of the population via smartphones made it possible to implement a pass system using QR codes, and even a tracking system for travel.
- The fact that China is a mask-wearing culture proved decisive.
- Sacrificing some individual freedoms for the common good was overall well tolerated. Across the country, public acceptance and strict enforcement of the guidelines issued by the Chinese authorities greatly contributed to the success of the plan.
- Fear over the outbreak also triggered widespread mobilisation.
- Finally, the country’s economic infrastructure helped the people get through these periods of isolation. There was already a system in place for home delivery of meals, drinks, groceries and miscellaneous goods, which could be ordered using many applications.
Small changes to life in China
Today, dealing with COVID-19 has quietly crept into everyday life, with body temperature checks, masks still mandatory on public transport, and a smartphone pass system.
To access public places such as transportation or restaurants, citizens must be able to display a green QR code.
The peak season is looming, and no one knows whether a resurgence might force the country to reinstate the stringent measures taken last winter.
Beyond the economic effects, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will certainly have repercussions on human movement – and consequently on the ways in which our different societies live and evolve together.
About Nicolas Petit
Nicolas Petit is a Teacher/Researcher in Management Control at the Franco-Chinese Institute of Renmin University of China. Petit moved to China in 2016 after earning a doctorate in Management Sciences from the University of Rennes 1 focusing on hospital management in France.
He is now interested in the Chinese healthcare system.
His expertise covers management control of public organisations (hospital sector), cost calculation, the dynamics and interplay of stakeholders around management tools, and applying new technologies to management.
