As a community of Chinese language and culture enthusiasts, educators and professionals, the coronavirus outbreak hits close to home.
Update
Upon reaching half of the fundraising goal in early March, we found that the situation in China had improved, hospitals in Wuhan have obtained a surplus of medical supplies and begun making donations to other countries in need. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 outbreak continues to intensify here in the United States. With careful consideration, we have decided to shift goal of the fundraiser to providing support here in the United States and building a partnership with the Red Cross, an organization who is dedicated to addressing critical shortages of resources for the local medical community.
Global health impacts us all and we believe it is important to bring global support to the men and women fighting to contain this deadly virus while instilling a sense of compassion that transcends cultures and borders, especially in times of crisis.
The CIUS Center is commited to strengthening the ties between people at home and abroad. During challenging times, language and culture can often create barriers to addressing the spread of global epidemics. We are in a unique position to create a bridge of support from our local Washington, DC community to those in need and we are dedicated to highlighting the importance of compassion, empathy, and the distribution of accurate information across our global community.
Our Goal
On March 30th, we will donate $2,284.00, the full result of everyone’s contribution altogether, to support the Red Cross - National Capital Region’s work to ensure that doctors have access to the resources needed to treat patients. We believe that by relying on the Red Cross’s expertise and their vast network of local chapters, we will be able to ensure that your donation goes a long way towards combating this global crisis.
The Situation
Since the outbreak of the virus in late December 2019, medical professionals in Wuhan, have been working around the clock to manage the outbreak while treating those who were infected by the virus. As of March 3rd, the virus has killed at least 2,945 people and infected more than 80,152 throughout the country.
The Issue
For medical professionals working in Wuhan it is important that protective gear and facemasks are routinely changed, however, due to a decrease in production over the Chinese holiday season and increased demand, staff at Wuhan City Central Hospital and Wuhan Xiehe Hospital have run out of these important supplies. As an alternative, doctors have resorted to using raincoats and trash bags to protect themselves from the virus.
Your Impact
By donating, you can bring badly needed medical supplies to local hospitals at the forefront of the outbreak and can help protect those who are risking their lives to prevent this from becoming a global epidemic.
Initiatives
CIUS Center is offering translation services and intercultural resources free of charge to medical facilities around the United States. Find out more here.
