TY - JOUR T1 - Combating COVID-19: East meets West JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - e442 LP - e443 DO - 10.3399/bjgp20X710753 VL - 70 IS - 696 AU - Donald Li AU - Chak-sing Lau Y1 - 2020/07/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/70/696/e442.abstract N2 - Community engagement is the first line of defence in the battle against infectious diseases. Yet there are international differences in the actions, response, and empowerment of the population in building a firewall against the deadly COVID-19 virus.1Culture, religion, and tradition have much to do with the prompt community response in the East. Confucianism, which is a common religion in the region, places a heavy emphasis on the importance of respect for rulers, family, and social harmony. It is a national philosophy in many Eastern countries, but also a religious system of beliefs.2 Even over 2500 years on, Confucian beliefs are still ingrained in mainstream ethics and religion.3 Harmony and conformity to society’s ways is preferred as a way of preserving order, while in the West legalism and pursuit of ‘the truth’ are preferred. For example, Chinese people have a strong system of respect. Much of this comes from the Confucian system of hierarchy.In China people generally accept what authority figures … ER -