COVID-19 Diaries: The Situation in Beijing, 68 days in

*EDITOR’S NOTE: On 12 Dec 2020, the World Health Organisation finally gave the 2019-nCoV a proper name—COVID-19. We have thus renamed our ‘2019-nCoV Diaries’ series to ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.

Thomas DuBois, from the USA, is presently living in Beijing, capital of the People’s Republic of China, where he works as a professor at one of China’s top institutions. We asked him how Beijing is holding up amid the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan 1054km away, and why he chooses to remain in the country despite the U.S. government’s recommendation that its citizens “currently in China should attempt to depart by commercial means.”

“I have seen enough zombie movies to know that inside is always better than outside.”

Q: Hi Thomas, thanks for connecting with us all the way from Beijing! When did you first hear about the 2019-nCoV coronavirus and what did you think of it then?

A: I first heard of the virus some time in late January. I don’t remember the exact date because the news didn’t make much of an impact at the time. The severity of the outbreak only hit home when I started receiving notices from my university advising everyone to stay home. That was on February 1st.

How concerned are you now? How many people do you personally know who’ve been afflicted with the coronavirus?

I am calm. I stay in a low density part of the city, and have loads of supplies. Stores are open and well stocked. I do not personally know anyone who has been afflicted with the virus.

How many cases are there in Beijing at the moment of this interview? How concerned is Beijing at this point?

I believe that the current number in Beijing is around 300. I have not been following the local count as much as the national news.

“A shopping mall in central Beijing on Feb 2nd. It's likely even more deserted now.”
“A shopping mall in central Beijing on Feb 2nd. It’s likely even more deserted now.”

Why do you choose to remain in Beijing regardless?

From a safety standpoint, staying put is by far the best policy. The last place I would want to be is a crowded airport or airplane. I had planned to take research trips to Nanjing and Hong Kong but since libraries in both are closed, there’s no reason to go.

Is there anything you know about the situation within China or in Beijing that has not been mentioned, or has been misrepresented, by news agencies outside of China?

I can’t speak for Wuhan, which is where much of the reporting is coming from, but there are occasional headlines about panic in Chinese cities. Here in Beijing, I see nothing of the sort. People are generally calm, there’s no hoarding, although people are concerned about having enough and the right kind of face masks. Cases of antiseptic sell out fairly quickly.

“The snowy market was set up by a housing association, but it was overkill, since the stores just down the street were all open.”
“The snowy market was set up by a housing association, but it was overkill, since the stores just down the street were all open.”

Is there anything you know about the coronavirus that has not been mentioned in global news?

No, I have been following the global news quite closely.

What is the status of food, water and medical supplies like masks in stores in Beijing right now? And how long do you think you can last with the stock you have at home at the moment?

Supplies are not a problem. Regular grocery stores are open and well stocked. There are no lines or hot tempers. There are occasional runs on items like instant noodles, which is related mostly to the closing of restaurants and food delivery. To avoid going out, more people than usual are getting food and bottled water delivered to their doors.

There is concern about having the right kind of face mask. People follow this sort of news quite closely on social media. Friends from elsewhere in China have offered to send me masks if I don’t have enough.

A photograph of Thomas in a mask with the checkpoint at the entrance to Beijing Normal University behind him. “The universities are tightly closed.”
A photograph of Thomas in a mask with the checkpoint at the entrance to Beijing Normal University behind him. “The universities are tightly closed.”

Do you still go out? If so, what precautions do you take when, and before and after, going out?

I go out at least once a day, all masked up. There’s no danger being in the open air, especially in frozen Beijing, so I go out for a long walk or occasionally a run. More important than the mask, I am very careful with what I touch, avoid touching my face, and thoroughly wash my hands when I get home.

When will you return to work? And what’s the plan in Beijing for people who need a form of income to survive yet cannot go back to work?

The work situation is “fluid,” which is probably all one could expect, given that the outbreak has likely not peaked. Students have been told not to return to university, and we are planning to teach courses online. I expect that we will probably be able to return to our offices within the month, but student  dormitories are likely to remain closed for the semester.

Income will be a problem for a lot of people. Beijing relies heavily on outside labor to run, and the entire population that went home for the New Year has been prevented from returning to the city. Any manner of service industry is going to be deeply affected.

What will you do if you develop the symptoms of the virus? What do the officials in Beijing recommend you do?

I have not made a plan for getting the virus myself. Since I am well connected by social media, I would likely ask people at my university what to do, so as to avoid affecting others.

What will you do if the coronavirus situation in Beijing takes a turn for the worse?

I would likely continue to stay put. I have seen enough zombie movies to know that inside is always better than outside.

“Delivery trucks and packages are more common sights than usual.”
“Delivery trucks and packages are more common sights than usual.”

Which 3 items or people are most useful for you right now?

—Computer
—Cartoon Network
—10kg hand weights

Lastly, what have you learned from this coronavirus outbreak that you didn’t know before?

I have learned how quickly a health outbreak can change people’s behaviour. When I first lived in China in the early 1990s, hygiene was a real problem. SARS and the coronavirus have done more to change daily habits than years of government campaigns.

I have also learned that the response—at least in Beijing—has been very well coordinated and executed. There are a million things that could have gone disastrously wrong, and none did.

An image Thomas got sent on WeChat, depicting a medicine box titled ‘Bu Chu Men’—meaning: Don’t Go Out—with ‘Usage Indications’ made of advice on how to self-quarantine and stay safe from the coronavirus. “‘Bu chu men’ is a bit of quarantine humor that's typical of how people are handling this.”
An image Thomas got sent on WeChat, depicting a medicine box titled ‘Bu Chu Men’—meaning: Don’t Go Out—with ‘Usage Indications’ made of advice on how to self-quarantine and stay safe from the coronavirus. “‘Bu chu men’ is a bit of quarantine humor that’s typical of how people are handling this.”

Thomas, being a scholar of Chinese history, presently still delights in being able to have the unique opportunity to work at China’s top institution, and intends to make the most of that by working extremely hard. You can connect with him at thomasdaviddubois.com, read his research work here, or ask him questions about the coronavirus situation in Beijing and China using the comment box below.

Tomorrow, we will interview another expat living in China’s largest city—Shanghai—to understand the present situation there. Follow the latest in our 2019-nCoV Diaries series here.

If you’re in China right now or have been affected by the novel coronavirus and would like to share information about the situation where you’re at, do get in touch with us here.

Photographs courtesy and copyright of Thomas DuBois. Interviewer: Sy
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4 responses to “COVID-19 Diaries: The Situation in Beijing, 68 days in”

  1. Thomas DuBois

    Some new developments:

    As of this morning, businesses and housing complexes are checking temperatures of everyone who enters. This is a quick process, done at the wrist with an electronic reader.

    The second is that restaurants remain open but only for takeaway and delivery. In-store dining has been stopped, thus solving the obvious difficulty of eating while wearing a face mask.

  2. LUCK-IT

    This seems to have already been the case for some time for other cities in China. Is Beijing behind in this regard?
    Also, Guangzhou and Shenzhen announced emergency law (allowing temporary seizure of private properties) a couple of days ago. Do you think this may end up happening in Beijing too?

  3. Thomas DuBois

    I hadn’t heard anything about property seizure, although such measures are fairly easy to enact. The mandatory temperature checks have been in place for some time at universities, but requiring them for entrance to condominiums and housing areas is new. I was surprised to see restaurants open for as long as they have been, both for sanitary reasons, and because workers remain in short supply.

  4. LUCK-IT

    Thanks for the update, Thomas! Hope to hear more from you soon. Stay safe!

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