Commentary: Truth, trust and transparency: The bitter pill in fighting COVID-19
This commentary is written by Sofiah Jamil, a political analyst with expertise in non-traditional security issues, and the co-founder of Hornbills: Concepts and Communications in Singapore.
What a difference a few weeks can make. In contrast to the spotlight on China when the novel coronavirus first broke out in December, it has become clear in recent days that this is no longer – as some would call it – a “Chinese” problem. In fact, while the spread of the virus is tapering in China, the human-to-human spread amongst non-Chinese nationals is growing worldwide. Indeed, viruses do not carry passports.
Muslim-majority countries are not spared from this global outbreak. According to WHO statistics, as of March 3, 21 of the 74 countries that have confirmed cases of COVID-19 are member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
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Sofiah Jamil