The tables below sets out some interesting comparisons.
Vietnam is larger than the UK by area and population. It is more densely populated. It has more cities of over 1 million people. It is significantly poorer. By those measures it faced a bigger threat from Coronavirus than the UK. However as the second table shows, Vietnam took quicker more decisive action in response.
As of 3rd May Vietnam has had 217 confirmed cases and no deaths.
UK has had 182,000 confirmed cases and 28131 deaths.
On 29th January they each had two confirmed cases. They faced the same risk.
| Source: World Population Review | Vietnam | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Size (SQ Km) | 331,210 | 242,495 |
| Population | 97,338,579 | 67,886,011 |
| Largest Cities (population) 2019 | Ho Chi Minh 8,244,400 Hanoi 7,379,300 | London 7,556,900 Birmingham 984,333 |
| Other cities with over 1 mil pop | 4 | 0 |
| GDP (PURCHASING POWER PARITY) PER CAPITA | $6,790 | $44,920 |
On 30th January 2020 the World Health Organisation (WHO) Emergency Committee announced that the Coronavirus outbreak constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This followed 12 meetings and announcements between 31st December 2019 and 28th January 2020 whereby the WHO alerted the world to the outbreak, and during which time China publicly shared the genetic sequence of Covid -19 (12th January). The WHO officially declared the outbreak a pandemic on 11th March because of the extent and severity of spread.
"On the 11th of January, #China shared the genetic sequence of the virus for countries to use in developing testing kits.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 29, 2020
On the same day, China reported the first death from the new #coronavirus"-@DrTedros #COVID19 https://t.co/ePM33zvcz0
All the information above including details of all meetings between WHO and relevant parties was available in real time to both Vietnam AND UK Governments. Indeed the UK journal,The Lancet, published all relevant information known to date in a seminal article on 24th January , so the information was also in the public domain.
| Source: Guardian | Vietnam | UK |
|---|---|---|
| First Recognises Coronavirus as a Measurable Risk | Mid December 2019 as China confirms 1st cases | 22nd January 2020 |
| First Confirmed cases | 23rd January | 29th January |
| First Death | None to date | 5th March |
| Advisory Measures | No advisory measures. All measures were mandatory from the start. 1st Quarantine 24th January | 16th March (Avoid pubs restaurants. Work from home if possible) |
| School Closures | 1st February | 20th March |
| Official Social Distancing Measures | Mid February including aggressive quarantine of cases and contacts | 20th March |
| Official Shut Down of Economic Activity | Minimal. Main technique aggressive testing, quarantine, contact tracing, travel restrictions and banning large gatherings | 20th March |
| Introduction of Mass Testing | From 23rd January testing of suspected cases and all contacts and extended chain. Estimated 800 tested re: each positive case | 250,000 a day Announced on 25th March BUT NO TIMETABLE. Adjusted on 3rd April to 100,000 per day by 30th April |
| Mass testing achieved | Yes | Not achieved |
| Introduction of Contact Tracing | 23rd January | Not achieved |