Article Response Assignment
Thesis
The current devastating spread of the coronavirus in the West is down to the underestimation of the severity of the virus and harboring perceptions that the pandemic was strictly a Chinese affair and poised no point of concern to the Western countries.
Based on the Op-Ed, the thesis is based on facts as the writer alludes to the comments that were made by vital public figures in the US and other western countries. By correctly quoting such remarks, the writer effectively ensure that all the claims that support the thesis are grounded on facts, rather than waiting for emotions to cloud his reasoning. Indeed, at the beginning of the outbreak of the virus was characterized by most governments turning a blind eye on the developments in China. Thus, the author uses facts to support the thesis in the Op-Ed.
The supportive facts that the writer includes in the Op-Ed are multiple. First, Owen correctly alludes to the partial lifting of the lockdown in China. China started to lift the total lockdown it imposed in various towns to eradicate the spread of the virus in late March. Again, Owen correctly refers to the current of containment measures in Canada. Indeed, in the past two months, life in Canada was normal and social and sporting activities went on usually. However, by the country reporting various cases and the Prime Minister going to self-isolation, containment measures were put in place, and social distancing rules came into effect save for those individuals categorized as essential groups. Further, the Chinese government stopped all the celebrations for the Lunar New Year to effectively control the spread of the virus. The other fact is alluding to several reports that Spain, Italy, and US healthcare systems are stretched. They are stretch indeed to the extent that some patients in Italy are treated in corridors of the hospitals. Finally, the author correctly alludes to President Trump’s shrugging off the severity of the pandemic and how other western countries underestimated the scope of damage associated with the epidemic.
Other theses that could be supported by the facts presented in the article include; the blatant disregard of the West played a significant role in fanning the spread of COVID-19; lockdowns and prioritizing essential containment measures are critical in eradicating the spread of coronavirus despite the type of government.
After reading the article, I concur with Owen in virtually all the issues he has raised. When the first case of coronavirus was reported in China in December last year, the Chinese government lived in denial. It moved swiftly to suppress the doctor, who voiced his concern about the potential pandemic. Just as the Chinese government, the governments of most Western countries rubbished the severity of the virus and shrugged any possible occurrence of lockdown in those countries. Such contemptuous treatment of the pandemic has come back to haunt them as they followed suit and imposed lockdown. Therefore, after reading the article, I had a change in opinion regarding the role of China as far as the spread of coronavirus is concerned. In most countries in the West, China remains blamed for the spread of the virus. However, after going through the contemptuous treatment of the virus, I now believe that each country could have played an instrumental role in curbing the spread of the virus.