MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WTBW)- Former South Carolina Governor David Beasley recently recovered from a battle with coronavirus.
Beasley is now the Chief Director for the UN World Food Programme. While traveling through out the Middle East, he tested negative for coronavirus twice. When he got home on March 13th, he thought he was suffering from allergies, but to be extra cautious he self quarantined and got another test. This time, the test was positive.
“I never got like 104 or 105 temperature, and never had serious trouble breathing. I had a sore throat, aches and pains, small fever and I would feel not so good for two days, and then I would feel good for a day and then it would come back,” said Beasley.
That lasted for about three weeks. Beasley said he’s bounced back, and making sure the 100 million people who rely on the World Food Programme every day are fed during this pandemic.
The U.S. is the WFP’s number one funding source, and Beasley worries what revenue cuts could mean for struggling countries.
“If the economic system collapses and the supply chain system collapses, you’re talking about 150,000 people would die per day for six straight months. We can’t shut down the ports, the distribution systems, otherwise people will die from starvation more so than from COVID,” said Beasley.
Beasley said in the last three weeks, WFP, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization sent millions of testing supplies, PPE equipment, and doctors and nurses to 78 countries to help combat coronavirus. Especially in Africa, as the virus begins to spread there and is expected to rise the next few months.
“We got to look at the whole spectrum of economic collapse supply chain, along with the impact the disease has directly with people, which also can create significant issues in undeveloped countries where the healthcare systems and immunity systems are very weak,” said Beasley.
Due to commercial airlines shutting down that would carry cargo, the WFP is chartering ships,trucks, and jets to make sure every country in Africa has supplies.
Beasley aslo said destabilization of certain countries could turn into a national security issue in the U.S.
“We’re working through the different issues literally on a hour by hour basis all through all around the world,” said Beasley.