Experts Believe Coronavirus Cases in Southeast Asia Are Being Under-reported

Health experts are starting to believe that the cases of Coronavirus in Southeast Asia are being vastly under-reported by the country’s respective governments.

The Coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread all across the globe in recent weeks–infecting a total of 83,000 people worldwide, mostly in mainland China.

Surprisingly though, at least to experts on infectious diseases, is the fact that many of China’s Southeast Asian neighbors are reporting very little Coronavirus cases.

In fact, Laos and Myanmar haven’t confirmed a single COVID-19 case at all.

Some experts, who don’t believe the official Coronavirus numbers originating in these countries, state that these governments might be downplaying the spread of the disease in order to not upset China, whose economy they most rely on.

Other experts think the problem is primarily due to a lack of healthcare infrastructure to catch the cases.

Outside of banning the six direct weekly flights to Wuhan where the virus originated, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen, whose cuddled up to China in recent years, has shown little concern about the spread of the Coronavirus.

“The cost of his decision is the health of his people,” said Sophal Ear, a professor of Cambodian politics at Occidental College. “Cambodia has become the weakest link: a country with poor health care, poor disease surveillance, and a long rap sheet of non-reporting.”

Read the full story here.