Photo: GT

Forty thousand healthcare professionals, who work outside a hospital setting, have signed up as volunteers in New York State to combat the novel coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday. This was an laudable move amid the outbreak of COVID-19 in the US, which reported more than 69,000 infected cases as of the press time. 

Although the US federal government has failed to appropriately deal with the outbreak, the successful mobilization in New York has proved that the US is strong in healthcare as well as civil power. However, the politicians who are steering the country should have made full use of these forces, but they have intentionally targeted a wrong enemy in this battle against the common threat to mankind. 

US politicians under the leadership of President Donald Trump have been downplaying the threat posed by the virus since when there was a sign of the outbreak in the country. And until today in the face of the rapidly increasing numbers of confirmed infections, these politicians are still engaged in politicizing the virus rather than epidemic prevention.

The US is the most developed country in the world, with leading medical technologies and top-class healthcare professionals, but it has missed the best timing to contain COVID-19 due to the Trump administration's slow move, driven by political reasons. The Trump administration has yet to admit to its mismanagement but it is shifting pressure and shaping public opinion by slandering China. It is a pity that many US politicians have lost themselves in such a deep-rooted vicious mind-set. 

In remarks after hosting the G7 foreign ministers' meeting on Wednesday, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo continued a war of words with China, saying China has been engaged in an "intentional disinformation campaign" in terms of COVID-19. 

This was obvious and absolute pass-bucking. Having been ignoring and demonizing China's sacrifice, efforts and achievements in its fight against the coronavirus, these US politicians have been silent about the US' ill preparedness and the mess in its operations to combat the virus. Not to mention the catastrophe the Trump administration has brought to innocent Americans.

As long as the Trump administration makes combating the virus its priority, it will find that more international cooperation, particularly with China, is needed. Passing the buck to China won't slow down the spread of the coronavirus across the US, but cooperating with China will help the US gain more windows to contain the virus. 

US politicians have been telling lies. Fortunately, many Americans can still keep a clear head and see through the filthy political tricks.

Cooperation brings more possibilities, and some US companies have been aware of it. Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Monday said the company has bought 1,200 ventilators from China and shipped them to the US together with other types of personal protective equipment. This will help US states suffering from a shortage of the equipment used to help treat patients.

Here we can see a great opportunity and room for the US to cooperate with China. We sincerely hope the US politicians could stop their paranoia before it is too late. They should be honest to what is happening in the US and take effective as well as reasonable measures to combat COVID-19. The vast innocent Americans should not be victims of their pursuit of political interests.