Jiyuan Wang D3

I stayed home during the pandemic, so I don’t have a lot of information on how the people of the US reacted to the pandemic. In China, the first wave of the pandemic was poorly handled in Wuhan. Initially, only a few cases emerged, but this eventually led to a full-on outbreak in the entire country and then the whole world. Despite Oedipus’s tragic efforts in combating his destiny, I do admire his transparency and leadership during the crisis, two qualities the Chinese government lacked when dealing with the first wave of the pandemic in Wuhan. In Oedipus’s speech to the people of Thebes at the beginning of the play, he not only demanded transparency and honesty from the citizens but also from himself. When cases of COVID19 surfaced in hospitals in Wuhan, doctors immediately recognized it as a highly contagious virus, capable of creating a pandemic. They reported these cases to their superiors and warned them about the potential pandemic. The first wave of the pandemic coincided with the Chinese New Year, which is the most important festival in China. Mass population mobility happens during this period. The doctors advised an immediate quarantine of Wuhan, as this could stop the virus from spreading further and sought help from the central government to cope with the impending pandemic. Their warnings were neglected, and they were asked to keep silent about it, as it could cause “panic” among the masses. The local government recognized the virus as a new type of seasonal flu, something that goes away very quickly. These doctors, out of their conscientiousness, warned people to stay home and not to travel during the New Year. They were soon taken into custody by the local government for spreading false information on the internet. The local government denied the existence of the virus and advised people to go on with their travel plans. It was not long until the outbreak started, and the number of infected became so high that it was essentially impossible for the local government of Wuhan to conceal it. Wuhan’s government finally acknowledged the pandemic. But it was way too late. Wuhan’s government had many chances; they could have been more transparent and sought help from the central government at any point. They did not because they were too arrogant to listen to the doctors and they did not want to acknowledge their failure, as it could mean the end of their political career. Oedipus, on the other hand, acknowledged that his wrongdoing caused the suffering of the people of Thebes and wished to resign from the throne. This is the kind of leadership and responsibility Wuhan lacked during the pandemic. As a result, many innocent people suffered. I was in China when the whole pandemic escalated. COVID-19 was not the only problem; people also died from the lack of medical resources. It makes me wonder, would it have made a difference if the government had been more transparent? Thus, we could have been better prepared for the pandemic.