Originally Posted by
doctoravios
I actually agree to a certain extent (though many of my colleagues almost certainly do not).
Some of the travel restrictions being implemented ranging from private companies to sovereign states are quite frankly bizarre. Much of it is either driven by fear or secondary to strange historical relationships between (historically feuding) states. Very little is driven by evidence based public health.
There is a difference between social distancing and arbitrary travel restriction which is quite subtle and which world leaders/CEOs/the general public do not seem to understand.
I think that some cultures deal better with disruptive events that need everyone to look out for the common good than others. Very few people in China would be boasting about how they will travel no matter what and it’s only a flu. They did well in containing after the initial outbreak. There are lots of individuals in the USA/west who place their wants and needs above the collective good. Hence the “What’s the cheapest mileage run to a virus hit country” thinking.
I think overcoming these culturally ingrained barriers to collective thinking will be one of the key things we’ll need to do to stop the virus in the west as they have in China. Otherwise it will continue to spread.