'Kung Flu' And 'China Virus' Are The Corona Pandemic Causes Caused By China

JAKARTA - The United States (US) is steadfast in blaming China for the coronavirus pandemic and the COVID-19 disease in the world. After all, in the eyes of the US, China is the source of all these calamities. There are various reasons why the US is so confident about its stance, including why they coined a number of terms, such as 'Chinese virus' and 'kung flu' to refer to this outbreak.

The US Ambassador to Britain, Woody Johnson, said that China had endangered the world by withholding information about the COVID-19 outbreak. Withholding information is what the US believes will make the world have to endure the COVID-19 pandemic.

"First, he is trying to contain the news (COVID-19)," Johnson said in an article.

In addition, Johnson also said that China was too selective in sharing important information. China is also seen as blocking international health authorities from dealing with the virus.

"If China did the right thing at the right time, its own people and the rest of the world, might have avoided the most serious consequences of this disease," Johnson added.

US President Donald Trump also commented similarly. According to Trump, China should have acted more quickly to warn the world after the outbreak there. Trump also dismissed criticism that his labeling of COVID-19 with the 'Chinese virus' was racist.

Last week, Trump brushed aside journalists' questions about what the potential harm was to Asian-American relations after he said the 'Chinese virus'. The unnamed White House official also personally referred to COVID-19 by the name 'kung flu'.

"When the crisis finally subsides, we must examine the results and evaluate the costs of this disruption in international collaboration," said Ambassador Johnson.

Earlier, World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that President Donald Trump had shown "political commitment" and "leadership" to combat the growing epidemic in the US.

WHO also warned that the US could become the global epicenter of the pandemic. The warning was announced as India declared a nationwide 24-hour lockdown in the world's second most populous country.

Tedros, speaking at the press conference, also praised the "difficult but wise decision" of the now postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He added that the delay was good because it aims to maintain the health of athletes and spectators.

"We have told the world that the window of opportunity is narrowing and the time to act is actually more than a month ago, two months ago," said Tedros.

"However, we still believe that there is an opportunity. I think we wasted the first window of opportunity. This is a second chance that we must not waste and do everything to suppress and control this virus, "said Tedros.

WHO officials also continue to warn that the world faces a shortage of personal protective equipment for health workers, particularly masks, gloves, hazmet and face shields.