The output of the Chinese manufacturing sector cannot be understated. China’s output in manufacturing and global supply chains counts for one-quarter of the global total – meaning the effects of the 2020 outbreak of the novel coronavirus are not simply physical in nature: the contagion is seeping its way into the global economy as well.
While the construction, automotive, and telecommunications sectors are all suffering losses due to reduced manpower, travel restrictions, and lockdowns in industrial hubs like Hubei Province, there is no industry that is quite so critically threatened as the medical product supply chain.
Wound care products and supplies, no matter where they come from, must ascribe to two fundamental tenets: they must be sanitary, and they must be plentiful. While we can say that products coming from the Chinese supply chain will definitely not be ‘tainted’ with COVID-19, the far more pressing issue is the disruption in supply. Wound care is one of the most critical aspects of health care, and a decrease in supply will lead to product shortages, diminished profits, and an insecure future. Already, the UK government is placing greater emphasis on centralised stock and local supply chains, as well as requiring businesses to carry out risk assessments on the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses.
While most sources are quick to point out that there does not seem to be any shortages in medicine yet, businesses know that a long-term outlook is always important in assessing risk. We know for sure that this disease is not slowing down – each day more infections are confirmed and the WHO has called on countries to be prepared for a global pandemic. While we certainly do not want to cave in to fear-mongering, businesses have no choice but to assess how such a crippling disease in the heart of industrial China will affect livelihoods in the long-term.