Chapter 1423 - 10: Medical Industry_2

Chapter 1423: Chapter 10: Medical Industry_2

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Compared to the United Kingdom, Americans are truly the victims of unforeseen calamities, especially President Wilson, whose recent public approval ratings have sharply declined.

Currently, the Wilson administration faces the impact of four major issues: the first being the United States’ participation in World War I, but failing to gain much tangible benefit post-war, leaving all levels of American society deeply dissatisfied.

The second issue is the sudden end of the war, leading to the German-Americans, initially suppressed by the American government, beginning their retaliation and revenge against the United States.

After the United States entered the war, German-Americans faced various persecutions, and they are one of the largest ethnic groups in America. Now, with the war’s end and Germany’s support, these German-Americans are naturally discontent.

The third issue is the sudden outbreak of a pandemic impacting American society, as Americans believe the government’s involvement in the European war brought the influenza back to the United States.

The fourth issue is a military problem, as the core of the pandemic in the United States was triggered by the military. Military camps became the largest points of outbreak, yet the government’s inadequate handling sparked discontent among some grassroots military personnel.

After all, in an attempt to prevent the spread of the pandemic, the American government confined the military to camps, ironically turning the entire camp into a breeding ground for the virus.

Furthermore, the American government is also in arrears, unable to adequately provide wartime compensation, among other malfeasances.

It can be said that America is akin to a powder keg, with various social problems accumulating and coinciding with the pandemic, creating a constant risk of explosion.

This situation forces American interest groups to sacrifice the current government to placate public anger, putting President Wilson in a more difficult position than French President Clemenceau.

Fortunately, America is truly a democratic nation, where at least the president and government can be held accountable, temporarily alleviating public pressure. Although changing the president may not resolve these issues, it does provide some reassurance to the populace.

White House.

President Wilson asked Secretary of State Henry, looking weary: "What is the status of the European flu now?"

Henry replied: "The situation is very bad; besides the uncountable number of infected individuals, commercial activities are severely disrupted. Factories and businesses can’t operate normally due to the large number of workers sick and absent, and schools have also had to close. Overall, the development and operation of society are affected."

President Wilson asked, "Is there no solution to this pandemic? Is it truly uncontrollable like the Black Death?"

Henry responded: "It appears to be the case, but there are indeed some solutions. According to disease experts, the best method to deal with the European flu is isolation."

"This pandemic spreads mainly through the respiratory tract, meaning that reducing movement and interaction of people can minimize the risk of infection to the greatest extent."

"Furthermore, we can learn from the experiences of the East African and French governments, by increasing nationwide control efforts and prioritizing the health and medical sectors."

The American government’s authority and credibility fall short compared to the East African government, causing some policies implemented by East Africa to be untranslatable to America, with not even all states following federal directives.

This is one of the main reasons for America’s mishandling of the European flu, as each state has its own regulations, making it difficult to coordinate the movement of people and resources as the federal government intends.

President Wilson said, "Clearly, we cannot let this go unchecked now; states must be restrained and strictly follow government directives. In facing a public crisis such as a pandemic, the entire nation should be united rather than indifferent."

"At the same time, vigorously promote the dissemination of health knowledge to the public, led by the government. Publish a batch of pamphlets and posters, making domestic citizens aware of the dangers and transmission methods of the European flu, thereby reducing the risk of spreading the pandemic."

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Apart from the United States and the United Kingdom, countries and regions worldwide have their respective measures and methods to cope with the pandemic.

However, most countries around the world are more inclined to learn "advanced" experiences from France, including East Africa, the nation that first developed detailed plans.

The reason for this outcome, apart from France being among the first to implement relevant laws and methods, is somewhat ironic—the pandemic in France is more severe than in East Africa.

France is highly likely the outbreak origin, and also the region most severely affected.

This made France a testing ground for various pandemic response methods, whereas East Africa never reached an infection count exceeding fifty thousand, rendering the comparison futile.

Among the experiences gained in France, basic methods like masks, disinfection, hygiene emphasis, and isolation were undoubtedly verified, leading to the spread of these effective measures from France to all corners of the globe.

Starting from February 1920, the global community began promoting masks. Although masks were invented by East Africa (in this timeline), France effectively contributed to their widespread adoption.

From February onward, a mask-wearing craze swept the globe, greatly benefiting related businesses in East Africa.

Since the last century, East Africa has consistently been the world’s leading producer of masks and other medical supplies. Though initially designed to tackle tropical diseases, East Africa became the primary nation for mass industrial mask production.