So what made the difference before modern medicine? In a word: sanitation. Improvements in things like food handling, sewerage and the disposal of corpses saved countless lives by preventing infections.

The tragedy is that it could have been done a long time before it actually was. For instance, even after the causes of infection were scientifically understood it was decades before surgeons routinely disinfected their instruments (and themselves) between operations.

That is worth bearing in mind before we look down on other countries for failing to act on the practices that help spread disease. Our own recent history, some of it ongoing (e.g. hospital infections), shows that bad habits can be deeply embedded.

Changing those habits means tackling personal, professional and cultural sensitivities. Global concern over the current crisis in China adds national sensitivities to the mix. A cartoon in a Danish newspaper, which replaced the stars of the Chinese flag with representations of the coronavirus has already caused great offence.

However, there are some much more difficult conversations still to come.

Quite rightly, the immediate focus is on containing the outbreak and helping its victims, but sooner or later some tough questions will have to be asked about the origins of the crisis. For outsiders to criticise hygiene at street markets or the consumption of wild animals will probably cause further offence. Foreigners will be told to mind their own business.

But in a world globalised by travel and trade, disease prevention everywhere is everyone’s business.

---

Peter Franklin is Associate Editor of UnHerd. He was previously a policy advisor and speechwriter on environmental and social issues.

peterfranklin_

---