I KNOW this piece will be seen as controversial and ridiculed by some. Many who are already enlightened will accept it as being self-evident.

The grace of the Almighty tells me I should proceed even at the risk of being targeted by a certain vested interest for-profit cartel.

The current Covid-19 spike is alarming. Confronted with a dilemma – reinstitute a lockdown and face an enfeebled economy, or don’t institute a lockdown and see hundreds or even thousands of lives perish, in this second wave our government appears to prefer the latter. However, there is a  third choice that could achieve the desired result of containment at less cost.

Interesting observations and lessons could be drawn from China’s Golden Week Holidays this month that kicked off with the celebration of its 71st National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival on October 1.

An estimated 550 million people traversed the nation. This stems from the epidemic being brought under control in many areas, leading to relaxed travel restrictions. 

China has relaxed restrictions on foreigners entering the country.

Those with work permits or are travelling on personal matters and for family reunions were allowed entry starting September 28. China has now opened its borders to 36 European and 13 Asian countries.

A Google search on the number of coronavirus infections in China showed it had not reported a locally transmitted case for 50 days straight. August 16 was the last reported cases involving four Chinese nationals. 

During this period there were single to double-digit daily infections involving foreign nationals. (https://www.china-briefing.com/news/china-coronavirus-updates-latest-developments-business-advisory-part-2/, last retrieved on 6 October 2020).

What is so special about China that has produced such amazing results? After all, like China, Malaysia conformed to the WHO guidelines on how to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The stark difference between China and the rest of the world was that the country officially incorporated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and used high-dose vitamin C, besides a healthy diet, as adjuncts to the conventional treatment protocol.

These non-pharmacological modalities were widely used in Chinese hospitals. Departing from the norms, China was the first country to have conducted clinical trials using high-dose intravenous vitamin C to very encouraging results. TCM, integral to the Chinese culture, and vitamin C are widely used by the masses.

An epidemic depends on two main factors – the aggressiveness of the pathogen and the strength of the people’s immune system. A compromised immune system and weak resistance allow infection of the aggressive pathogen. The infection then feeds on the community’s widespread weak immune system to become an epidemic. 

Emphasis on the need to maintain social distancing, wearing mask and washing hands, although essential, falls short in building a robust immune system that is able to resist infection, or at least prevent it from turning chronic.

There should be emphasis on living and eating healthily to boost the body’s resistance to fend off the vicious coronavirus.

White blood cells (WBC), or leukocytes, are an important factor in our immunity against infectious disease and pathogens. In phagocytosis, which is a function of the WBC to destroy the pathogens, the role of vitamin C is essential. Without or having insufficient vitamin C, our body cannot protect us from infection.

Such basic human biology knowledge seems to have escaped the thoughts of our health authorities in tackling this Covid-19 pandemic.

Several of my associates at Dr Rath Research Institute based in California, who had the opportunity to work with Nobel laureates, had recently published a ground-breaking report on the mechanisms of how coronavirus spreads and how it could be stopped. The details are available in Ivanov et al (2020), “Effective and safe global public health strategy to fight the Covid-19 pandemic: specific micronutrients composition inhibits Coronavirus cell-entry receptor (ACE2) expression”, published in JMC&NH.

Nevertheless, as usual, mainstream society will ignore great scientific breakthrough contributions even at the cost of human lives and destruction to the economy, if the use of the intervention agents is not patentable. Enough has been said of this monstrous hands-in-gloves for profit healthcare industry that has consumed the world at large.

It appears China has finally shaken off the scourge of Covid-19. Lessons from there inform our third choice.

Wuhan, the heart of the pandemic outbreak, now celebrates. Viewing the YouTube flash mob in “ground zero” performed by people from all walks of lives during the Golden Week Holidays brought tears to my eyes.

I cried for the heroic people in Wuhan who stood together in facing the coronavirus onslaught. I also cried for my Malaysia, yearning for the day when all ethnic groups could stand shoulder to shoulder to face all challenges. – October 8, 2020.

* Captain Dr Wong Ang Peng is a researcher with an interest in economics, politics, and health issues. He has a burning desire to do anything within his means to promote national harmony. Captain Wong is also a member of the National Patriots Association.