‘Shutting down Wuhan prevented 700,000 infections in China’
Shutting down the Chinese city of Wuhan shortly after the outbreak of the new coronavirus, prevented 700,000 people from getting the virus. Researchers from China, the United States, and the United Kingdom write this in the scientific journal Science.
The researchers used medical reports, public information, and cell phone data to see how much and where people have traveled.
‘Our data suggests that the travel ban in Wuhan has given the rest of China time to prepare for the coronavirus,’ said one of the researchers. “China’s measures have worked well. The travel ban cut contact between the infected patient and the potential recipient of the virus.”
By slowing down the spread of the virus, other large cities were able to take measures. For example, all kinds of shops and catering businesses across China were soon closed, even before the virus was widely detected outside Wuhan.
Less traveled around Chinese New Year
The mobile data shows that much less travel took place during the Chinese New Year, while this is usually the busiest travel period of the year in China. Wuhan actually locked on January 23.
At the time, it was seen as a drastic step by many countries, but now, cities and regions around the world have been shut down to prevent further spread of the virus.
