A passenger at a New York City subway train wears a face mask. At least 13 people across New York were infected with coronavirus as of Thursday morning. Photo: Xinhua

The US, the new epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic with the highest infections of over 100,000 now, should announce stringent lockdowns in the worst-hit regions and accelerate testing and hospitalization to curb the spread of the virus, which might help save time wasted from previous buck-passing, Chinese experts said. 

Chinese epidemiologists urged the US to prioritize lives rather than the economy, and adjust its disease-control strategy to full-throttle prevention rather than passive response as the latter would always lag behind, and fail to flatten the curve

"Control the movement of people, announce a complete lockdown in the worst-hit regions, ramp up testing and hospitalize all confirmed patients, use online communication to attain broader prevention results, and raise the awareness of every person," Chinese health experts said.

Infections are spiking globally and the epicenter of the current outbreak is transferring to the US, Chinese top respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan told China Central Television on Friday. 

The US reported 101,707 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, doubling in three days. The death toll is nearly 1,700.

Since the virus has spread across the country with more cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Miami and New Orleans reporting growing numbers, locking down regions with the worst situation and imposing measures to control gatherings and movements of people are imperative now, Yang Zhanqiu, a Wuhan-based virologist, told the Global Times on Saturday. 

Many US states have issued orders to close non-essential businesses, and some have advised residents to stay home. 

US may lack the institutional structure or basis for a Chinese-style lockdown, but the fact is the fewer people hanging out and meeting others, the lower the risk of transmission, Yang said, noting such measures could flatten the curve when the incubation period ends. 

Yang also stressed quick testing and hospitalization, which are challenging but necessary to restrict the scale of infections; otherwise, the shortage of medical resources would further be aggravated. 

China has been using traditional Chinese medicine recipes to ease the ill's symptoms and prevent mild patients from worsening to critical patients, and the US must figure out a way to achieve the same goal. The high rate of mild patients aggravating quickly to serious or critical status would strain or overwhelm its health care system and drive up the death rate, Yang warned. 

Shortage of ventilators, personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical care providers have been reported across the US, which will hamper the treatment of patients and drain the medical resources.

The country is seeking to recruit international medical staff to ease the shortage of hands and import test kits, but the attempt is likely to face procedure barriers, media reported. 

Chinese experts noted the US government ignored clear-cut warnings from China and the World Health Organization, and carried out a very negative passive response strategy while prevention in advance should be the right thing to do.

The US has wasted so much time on buck-passing and vacillating. The country was busy finding a scapegoat rather than curbing the domestic outbreak and the Trump administration was trying to save the stock market, which goes against the principle of controlling the virus outbreak, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Saturday. 

It is time for the US to be decisive as saving the economy should give its way to saving more lives, Song said. 

The advice also includes casting aside political bias and accepting information sharing on a global level.

Jack Ma Yun, founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba and Alibaba Foundation, had coordinated frontline medical personnel from East China's Zhejiang Province to compile a guidebook or roadmap on rescue and treatment of COVID-19 patients. The guidebook has been translated into several languages, including English, Italian, French, and Spanish, and the US is on top of the download list. 

Chinese netizens have also expressed concern over some Americans' attitude towards disease control. Many Americans like to hang out, meet friends or go to groceries on a daily basis, which put them in great danger of exposure. 

"It seems some people still don't realize the virus' ugly power. They must get to know more about how the virus is transmitted, and the length of the incubation to protect themselves and their family members," a Chinese net user said on news about a US youth from Tennessee getting infected after partying with friends. 

Yao Maosheng, a bio-aerosol study expert and professor at the renowned Peking University, offered tips for common people to minimize infection risks. 

Wearing a face mask or at least stuffing the nose with medical cotton could reduce the chance of catching the virus from droplets, and disinfecting outfits and shoes after returning from public places could also lower transmission risks, Yao said. 

Deng Xiaoci contributed to the story