68 days ago, we interviewed Greg who had just returned to Shanghai after a trip abroad only to find himself caught up in the growing COVID-19 epidemic there. Now that it’s been almost 3 months since then, we asked him—a kindergarten teacher who lives alone—to give us an update on what’s being going on in Shanghai since.
“There are now new lockdowns going on up north, though this is not made public.”
Q: Hi Greg, welcome back! What’s happened since the last time we spoke? Are you still in Shanghai and have you been well?
A: Yes, I’m still here in Shanghai. I haven’t left the city since I returned at the beginning of February. I seem to be OK.
What restrictions presently remain in Shanghai and which have been lifted? Have you yourself gone back to work in person yet? Sat down for a meal in a restaurant?
Checking people’s temperature at all residential compounds and many restaurants continues. A few weeks ago, we were notified that some public tourist spots, like the big towers across from the Bund and the Aquarium were ordered to shut down again without an explanation. We have not returned to the classroom, but the school is anticipating that we will return before the end of the term, so they are busy getting things prepared.
What are the numbers of COVID-19 infected, recovered and demised in Shanghai right now? What about in China as a whole?
If you rely on the official government approved data, it says that the numbers are as follows: infected – 640, dead – 7, recovered – 532. The latest update on “One Tube Daily” lists China’s numbers as: total – 84,302, asymptomatic – 984, imported – 1,616, recovered – 78,147.
How accurate do you think those numbers are? And do you think this means the COVID-19 crisis in China is getting close to being over?
Whether those numbers are accurate, that’s anyone’s guess. China has repeatedly trumpeted that they have successfully defeated the virus, yet there are now new lockdowns going on up north, though this is not made public. There has also been talk about reinfections and more asymptomatic people not being properly reported. You must seek news sources outside of China to find this out, though. There is plenty of reason to believe that the official narrative is not accurate, so I’ll leave that to the discretion of the reader. But as for how it feels, it feels like things are returning to normal.
This is Greg.
When did the coronavirus situation in China first start getting better? In hindsight, what were the signs that suggested the epidemic was beginning to end?
So much time has passed in just a few months that it’s hard to keep track of exactly when things started to change. I would say maybe 2 weeks ago things started to feel more like they were returning to normal, especially when food deliverymen were allowed back into the compound for door deliveries.
Now that the rest of the world is just as affected by the coronavirus as China had been, how do you think China’s response to the virus compares to that of most other countries?
If you only follow Chinese media and believe the government propaganda, then it seems like China did a great job. However, the world knows by now that the government knew about the virus back in December and willingly covered it up until it became uncontrollable by mid-January. This topic is too complex to talk about in this format, though. As I said, if you only follow Chinese media and propaganda, then it seems like they did an amazing job. But if you view media outside of China (and the Great Firewall) then there is tons of evidence and reports that very much contradict that narrative.
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You’re from the US so what are your thoughts on the situation there now that they are presently the country most affected by COVID-19? How do you think they ended up with so many more infections and what do you think they can do to get the number of infections down?
As an American, I feel embarrassed by how it was initially handled. Trump has gone back and forth between saying everything was fine to now having to pass all kinds of measures to try to ensure that people steer clear of each other. I hate that the US (as well as the rest of the world) did not have enough PPE on hand to better deal with this crisis. This has been a major wake-up call for companies to return to manufacturing important goods back in their home countries. People in the US understandably don’t like authoritative measures, but on the other hand, some people need to be more careful and responsible rather than being selfish and reckless.
What advice do you have for the people all around the world who are presently still stuck in their homes because of lockdown measures, with no end to the COVID-19 pandemic in their countries in sight?
I think if people utilize more technology to socialize then this could help (Skype, FaceTime, etc), as well as Netflix and all those free concerts/performances being offered, especially if you have kids at home. Some people around Europe have also had local neighborhood celebrations from their balconies, playing music and cheering to keep everyone’s spirits up. Getting outside to walk around and exercise (with social distancing and masks) is also critical. I would also look at some of the early videos that people in China made of things they did indoors. Some of them are quite funny and creative.
Which 3 items or people are now most important to you?
1) Online groceries 2) Didi drivers 3) My friends
Lastly, what else have you learned in the time since we last spoke that you didn’t know before?
I didn’t know just how many people could contract this virus in less densely populated countries and how unprepared many places were. It’s nice to learn though, that Taiwan has done a great job with how it handled the virus. I wish they were getting more attention for it because the situation there has been very different from that of China.
Greg hopes to be able to work towards a master’s degree moving forward. You can ask him more about the situation in Shanghai using the comment box below or follow his adventures in Asia through his blog, globejournal2.com.
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If you’re in a country that has 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.
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73 days ago, in early February, we started this series to document to progress of the development of the new coronavirus in China that had only just arrived in Singapore (from which LUCK-IT operates). At that point, WHO and the Singapore government were actively dissuading people from wearing masks. “Do not wear a mask if you are well,” was the catchphrase of the day.
42 days ago, in mid-March, we did our first update. By that point, the virus was just starting to spread beyond China, with South Korea being the worst hit, and Italy, France and Germany fast catching up. China on the other hand was only just starting to report a drop in the number of new cases and deaths. WHO was still hesitant to call this situation a pandemic, afraid that doing so “may certainly cause fear”.
Today…
We are most certainly deep in the middle of a pandemic, with COVID-19 cases worldwide having already crossed the 2mil mark and the death toll now more than 150k globally. This is in contrast to the number of cases having been just over 100k and the death toll being just under 4k 42 days ago.
China is no longer the country with the most cases in total. It has been overtaken by 7 other countries, with the US holding the top spot in both the number of cases and deaths.
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While some countries are starting to report a decline in new cases and deaths (e.g. China, South Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Germany, USA) suggesting recovery may be on the horizon, others (e.g. Singapore, the UK, Japan) see no end in sight yet .
Much of the world is now in some form of a lockdown or another, with wealthier countries pumping aid to their citizens by the billions. Even so, millions have lost their jobs or shuttered their businesses. The travel, aviation, F&B, events and oil industries are among the most affected. The 2020 Olympics has been postponed to 2021.
Singapore—the “best-case scenario” no more…
Singapore, which was at some point considered a “best-case scenario” for being able to allow its inhabitants freedom of movement while simultaneously keeping the virus under control, began losing control around the time the second wave of imported infections began coming in from the US and UK (fleeing Boris Johnson’s herd immunity policy).
The Singapore government’s public advisory for April 2020.
The island country decided to go into semi-lockdown when the number of cases crossed the 1000 mark, and today, just 17 days later, the number of cases in Singapore stands at more than 8000.
Just last weekend, McDonald’s Singapore was made to suspend all operations islandwide after 7 of its employees across more than 5 outlets tested positive for COVID-19.
Mask-wearing when outdoors is now mandatory in Singapore, with non-compliance punishable by law. This is despite WHO’s stand that “you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with COVID-19.”
Interestingly, Singaporeans account for only 13% of the total number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore. The majority of those infected here are Bangladeshi and Indian nationals, migrant workers living in crowded dormitories that have since become the largest clusters of COVID-19 infected.
What’s next?
What’s starting to become clear as the months go on is that the numbers coming out from WHO or floating around popular media are unlikely to be accurate indicators of the spread of the virus or how individual countries are doing in comparison with each other.
A screen grab of the notice shown on the McDelivery app for Singapore.
China, for example, had not included asymptomatic cases in their numbers until towards the beginning of April, whereas some other countries like South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan had been doing so from the very start. Some countries have been telling everyone with COVID-19 symptoms to go get tested right away, whereas others like Italy, UK and the US have been telling those with symptoms to stay home to avoid straining the healthcare system. A few countries have reported a shortage of testing kits and no country has been able to provide accurate data of all asymptomatic cases yet, for obvious reasons.
Even the date of when the novel coronavirus first appeared is ambiguous. We’ve been using 1 Dec 2019 as the date the first known COVID-19 patient developed symptoms but recent reports from China have retrospectively traced the first likely COVID-19 patient back to 17 Nov 2019.
In short, the situation changes at lightning speed every single day and the data available doesn’t present any obvious answers. We could be at the middle-point of the COVID-19 pandemic right now or there could be wave after wave of upcoming recurrent infections nobody can presently foresee. A country may be doing well in controlling the virus at a specific point in time, but who knows how well it will continue to perform in the future?
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All we can do now is stay home, mask up, and document these strange days for clues on how to do better in the future. Hopefully, one day soon, we will be able to look at these notes and very effectively pinpoint what exactly we did wrong, and right.
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If you’re in a country that has 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.
Image Source: Ministry of Health Singapore, McDonald’s Singapore. Compiler: Sy Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here. If you found this article useful:
When the novel coronavirus outbreak in China first began, we interviewed Thomas who had been put under lockdown in Beijing and found him to be calm. Now that almost 2 months have passed and the numbers of reported COVID-19 cases in China appear to be falling, we had another chat with him, hoping for light at the end of the tunnel, but were surprised to find him a tad less calm than before.
“COVID-19 is certainly, definitely not over in China, not even close.”
Q: Hi Thomas, welcome back! What’s happened since the last time we spoke? Are you still in Beijing and have you been well?
A: Hi Sara, it’s good to be back! The couple of months since we spoke have been sort of a blur, which is to be expected if you’re spending most of the time inside, with no real schedule. I am still in Beijing, and have been physically well, but have admittedly started to go a bit loopy.
What restrictions presently remain in Beijing and which have been lifted? Have you yourself gone back to work in person yet? Sat down for a meal in a restaurant?
Beijing is seeming to relax, partly because of the weather. Some people are back to work, but the universities remain closed. Places like malls are a bit more lively than they had been. At their worst, public spaces were really ghost towns. Restaurants are now back open for dine-in—but customers are still pretty thin on the ground. Places like McDonalds are doing huge takeaway business.
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What are the numbers of COVID-19 infected, recovered and demised in Beijing right now? What about in China as a whole?
I do hear about new cases in Beijing, but my impression is that these are primarily people who have come back to China from outside.
How accurate do you think those numbers are? And do you think this means the COVID-19 crisis in China is getting close to being over?
I can’t comment on the accuracy of the numbers, but COVID-19 is certainly, definitely not over in China, not even close. This is a virus that spreads exponentially among asymptomatic carriers—so it remains as insidious as ever.
A brochure stating laws related to controlling the novel coronavirus.
When did the coronavirus situation in China first start getting better? In hindsight, what were the signs that suggested the epidemic was beginning to end?
Until there is a cure and/or a vaccine, getting better will consist only of managing the spread. While people have certainly gotten better about washing hands and other hygienic measures, progress can only be temporary. People are certainly relaxing, but the fact is that another outbreak could occur at any time.
Now that the rest of the world is just as affected by the coronavirus as China had been, how do you think China’s response to the virus compares to that of most other countries?
Again, I can only comment on what I have seen publicly, but there’s no question that China took this very seriously, and coordinated its response at a central level. Given that China was the first to deal with the outbreak, it’s inevitable that mistakes would be made, but on the whole, the response has been remarkably well coordinated. The ability to keep consumer goods in stock remains a testament to the miracle of modern logistics. The switch to online learning has gone without a hitch, which again is pretty remarkable considering the sheer numbers of people involved.
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You’re from the US so what are your thoughts on the situation there now that they are presently the country most affected by COVID-19, with more than 3x as many cases of infection compared to China? How do you think they ended up with so many more infections and what do you think they can do to get the number of infections down?
Well to be fair, it is hard to compare data from different countries, since there is no standard for reporting criteria. But that said, the US federal response has by any measure been an absolute clown show, with neither moral nor operational leadership coming from the White House. I am not a particular fan of our current president, but even by the low standards of the past three years, the response of this government has been abysmal. On the other hand, states have shown real leadership. Governors of California, New York, Ohio, Maryland, Michigan and Washington have been standouts. The lineup of people prepared to return the US to a state of competent governance is growing longer and more coordinated. As a historian, I can only hope that this moment represents the low point of a longer cycle in US politics.
What advice do you have for the people all around the world who are presently still stuck in their homes because of lockdown measures, with no end to the COVID-19 pandemic in their countries in sight?
My advice is to embrace the slow erosion of your sanity. It’s gonna happen, so just belt up and enjoy the ride.
This is Thomas.
Lastly, what else have you learned in the time since we last spoke that you didn’t know before?
Oh all kinds of things. I have learned that you really want to brush your teeth before putting on a face mask, and that going running with a mask on is a great way to make yourself pass out. I have learned that animals are pretty quick to fill up spaces that humans have vacated, and that stray dogs lead surprisingly rich and fulfilling lives.
I have been learning to make better use of the Internet for my teaching. My class on food studies is still on, but we have adapted our assignments so that students trapped at home can interview their relatives, and conduct ethnographies of e-commerce sites like Taobao.
I have also been listening to a lot of podcasts, and even doing a few of my own. This is truly a golden age for sitting around and yapping into a microphone.
Thomas is a historian of modern China who presently just hopes to be able to get back to his work on China’s food eventually. You can read more about him and his work at thomasdaviddubois.com and bnu.academia.edu/ThomasDavidDuBois or ask him about China’s anything using the comment box below.
Follow the latest in our COVID-19 Diaries series here.
If you’re in a country that has 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. Interviewer: Sy Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here. If you found this article useful:
Italy has been reporting a consistent reduction in daily new cases of COVID-19 this month. Back in March however, this wasn’t the case with the country fresh in lockdown and hospitals worrying about how they were going to cope with the rapidly increasing number of infections. Here’s a look back at what the situation was like in Italy just a month ago, as told by Roberto who lives in the Umbria region of Central Italy.
“Lots of people are reporting horrible flu with chest pain but until they need to be hospitalised they won’t be counted. Basically, we’re ignoring the mild cases.”
Q: (Asked on 16 March) Italy has been in lockdown for more than a week but infections have not slowed. How do you feel about it? Are people taking the lockdown seriously?
A: People are pretty scared. Grocery stores are open. You need to sign a declaration with the reason why you’re around to get there, though. There are people around… going to the grocery store, taking the dog out, having a walk with their children… But they keep much more than 1.5m among them.
My mindset about these arguments when they happened in Italy was “just relax, stay at home, be safe and wait a couple of weeks”. And it worked. Stressing out about it is a huge waste of time, some people won’t understand until it begins impacting them personally.
Under what conditions can a person go out?
If you’re out you must have a reason. They will stop you and you need to provide a signed declaration. Valid reasons are commuting to work and going to buy groceries/to the pharmacy. You’re also allowed to take the dog out and you must keep 1.5m from everyone.
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Can someone move from one city to another by showing a signed declaration?
They are pretty strict about town borders. You can only move for work, basically.
What happens if anyone breaks the rules?
There have been like 7000 people reported breaking the rules in 3-4 days. They’ll all face a big fine and could go to jail—also, they’ll have that on their records. Besides that, there is news saying a prison riot happened in Italy over the lockdown measures. Probably something organised by the Mafia. 12 inmates dead while 16 escaped. They’re probably back with their families and will be caught again in a while.
I found that the mortality rate for COVID-19 is very high in Italy. Why do you think that is the case? I read from the newspaper that it is because hospitals in Italy don’t have enough beds and ICU machines, is that true?
Regarding the higher lethality: It’s widely believed to be because of a combination of A—the bigger population of elderly people (average age in Italy is pretty high) and B—the fact that the infected are many, many more than reported. At least double the official number, according to The Lancet.
Probably many, many more are unreported. To get tested nowadays in most of Italy you need to be on the verge of death basically. So it’s not that it’s much more lethal here than in China, it’s that we’re only testing people who are coughing their lungs out. They don’t test you if you have symptoms but no history of contacts with a known infected person. Lots of people are reporting horrible flu with chest pain but until they need to be hospitalised they won’t be counted. Basically, we’re ignoring the mild cases.
We still have enough beds and pulmonary ventilators—not for long though. Especially in Lombardy, the situation is critical and they could have to choose who to save soon. That’s not happened yet though.
With regards to the elderly patients issue, I heard a rumour saying that hospitals in Italy are choosing to not treat the elderly because of shortages of resources. Another rumour said that the Italian government has been using trucks to send corpses to crematoriums. Is that true?
No one’s stopped treating the elderly yet, they just said it could happen if we don’t slow the infection down. That is basically fake news. However, the ordinary crematory could not deal with the corpses and the military had a lot of trucks available. That one is not rumour.
Why are there so many COVID-19 infections in Italy? How did most of those infected contract the virus and are there any big clusters?
At first the government tried to follow contacts starting from patient zero for a while, but it wasn’t useful as multiple infection chains appeared and many are untraceable. Thus they failed to contain the virus.
If you’re in a country that has 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 Adert. Interviewer: Kauai Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here. If you found this article useful:
Doris* (*not her real name) lives in Singapore, in a building where many units are stacked close together, one on top of the other. She was recently informed of 3 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the very block she lives in. She told us how she’s responded and how her health has been like since.
“This pandemic has been going on for months now. It’s getting more tiresome than frightening.”
Q: Hi Doris, thanks for speaking with us! When did you first notice a COVID-19 patient living in your condominium? How did that develop and end up becoming 3 cases?
A: I first suspected there might be a coronavirus-positive person in my condominium when I saw red and blue lights flashing outside my window one night. It was an ambulance that didn’t have its siren on, turning into my condo. I couldn’t see where it went after that and kinda forgot about it for a few days until I noticed a note placed at the lift lobby by the condo management saying that a resident had tested positive. It didn’t reveal which block the resident lived in though.
A few days later, I get a note from the condo management stuffed under my door saying that a second resident from the same household had been infected, and that those 2 residents were from my block. And more days after that, I got yet another note under my door saying a third resident from a different household but again from the same block had been infected.
The fortunate thing is that the third and the first 2 cases are not linked (or at least that’s what the last note said), meaning it wasn’t transmitted through the building (or so they think). That is the reason the condo hasn’t been identified as a cluster in the news. I guess all we can do now is wait a month to see if more cases in the same block develop. If none do, then we’re clear.
What did you feel when you first realised you were living in a “contaminated” building? What did you do then?
My first thought was “oh crap” but I was otherwise generally calm because well, it is what it is. Fate. A friend from Hong Kong then advised me to pour a mix of detergent and water into my pipes in case the virus spreads through the pipes like SARS did in Hong Kong so that was the next thing I did. Basically those emotional and behavioural reactions repeated themselves every time I heard about there being a new confirmed case in the building. I have since bought a large container of disinfectant and eventually poured that down the pipes instead of detergent.
The memo Doris found under her door one evening.
How did your sense of panic increase when the cases of infection went from 1 to 2 to 3?
It didn’t really increase. 1 infected feels the same as 3 infected. Basically so long the building is infected, you already feel screwed…
How did this community outbreak affect your daily life? Will you consider moving to another apartment to live temporarily?
I now wrap my finger with a thick wad of tissue before pressing any lift buttons and I generally don’t open my windows as often as I used to (lest someone in my block decides to cough out theirs). I also pour disinfectant down my pipes every now and then which I never did before.
Because the virus seems to be everywhere in Singapore now (a supermarket and a pharmacy had to close recently because of infected employees and there are almost 100 cases of unknown origin here today), I don’t see anywhere else as being any safer. It’s like you can run but not hide, so no, I don’t see moving as the solution.
What is the health status of you and your family members presently?
Oddly, on the night the note about the third infected resident appeared under my door, shortly after I disinfected my pipes, I developed a 38-degree fever that burned through the night. The next morning, I was feeling much better but another member of my family developed a fever. The day after that, we were both feeling normal again with 36-degree temperatures, but later that night my throat was sore and my chest felt inflamed and itchy inside, to the extent that I occasionally felt the urge to cough. Today my sore throat is gone but my chest still feels itchy, though I’m no longer feeling that urge to cough. I am otherwise well enough to be answering this while seated in an upright position and going about my day like normal—within the confines of my home, of course.
What will you do if you suspect you are infected? How likely do you think you will be infected?
I do presently suspect I MIGHT be infected, mostly because I had a fever just days ago, coupled with the fact that the virus has been in my building, and in a supermarket and basically everywhere. But I’ve read enough news reports to know that COVID-19 is seldom detected in the early stages of the disease and that many positive cases end up seeing a doctor more than once before testing positive. In fact, day 5-7 of illness is when it all reportedly goes south and breathing difficulties develop. I’ve been staying home and avoiding people since I got my fever but if I develop breathing difficulties past day 5 or 7, I’m definitely calling a doctor to arrange a non-crowded time-slot.
If I did test positive, I wouldn’t be surprised at all. And not just because of my building. Just the other day, I grabbed a takeaway dinner from a hawker centre that was a short walk away from the supermarket that had the infected employee. And I have been ordering online deliveries from that very supermarket brand too. Who can say for sure where I contracted the disease from if I did contract it?
If the pandemic is not going to stop unless herd immunity is gained, how panicked are you at this point? What is your plan then?
If COVID-19 becomes a regular disease like any other then contracting it at some point would be inevitable and even necessary. If there is nothing I can do to avoid getting COVID-19 then I would like to hurry up and contract it and get the antibodies in my body all set up and ready to deal with future occurrences of it. I’m not panicking at all right now because what’s the use in that? This pandemic has been going on for months now. It’s getting more tiresome than frightening.
If these are the last 30 days of your life, what will you do?
I would quit work at once because that would no longer be relevant. And I would spend the next 30 days spending or giving away all of my money with my loved ones by my side round the clock. When not doing that, I would contact everyone who’s ever meant something to me or made a difference in my life and tell them all the sappy things I never would if I wasn’t dying.
Doris hopes to be able to go out again like before soon. (“To be able to attend events and hang out amongst large groups of strangers like before.”) She can’t say when she will be able to do that though. (“I don’t think anybody can.”)
More interviews with people in other parts of the world coming up next week. Follow the latest in our COVID-19 Diaries series here.
If you’re in a country that has 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 Doris*. Interviewer: Kauai Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here. If you found this article useful:
Heather Rowsell is a retiree from the UK living in Spain, 9,767km away from Wuhan, China. She told us how her household has been coping with the National Emergency declared by the Spanish government and also how the 3 of them worked out how to share a single Netflix account.
“At first we were told this situation would last for 2 weeks, Day 8 we were told another 2 weeks were added to it, and a couple of days ago yet another 2 weeks.”
Q: Hi Heather, thanks for speaking with us all the way from Spain! When did you first hear about the 2019-nCoV novel coronavirus and what did you think of it then?
A: The first time I heard about the COVID-19 virus was in January 2020, it was on the news about Wuhan in China with cases spreading very fast. It was also said that a doctor there tried to warn the authorities in advance, and was ordered to say nothing. But as the number of cases grew so fast, people were posting photos and expressing their fear online. Social media announced the truth while their government regime seemed more concerned about an economic downturn and how other countries would react.
Even when it started to spread to other, smaller “hotspots” in China, it would never get to Europe right? Even when experts said it would spread to other countries, it would never get to Europe right? For Europeans the subject hardly got a mention here, life carried on as normal for us. We had sympathy for the Chinese population and could only imagine what it must be like. We did not dwell on the situation at all.
How concerned are you and the people of Spain now? How many are infected or dead because of the virus in Spain at the moment of this interview?
Very concerned, it hit home hard when the shutdown first began, and makes me wonder just how long such a heavily restricted life will last. The Spanish Government is discussing further restrictive measures today, but what else?!
As I write this.. Current figures in Spain: Total cases: 78,799. New cases: 5,564 (last 24 hours). Total deaths: 6,606. Deaths: 624. (last 24 hours).
Spain has the world’s 4th largest COVID-19 outbreak. Second highest in Europe behind Italy. Double the total number of deaths in China.
The situation in Madrid and Barcelona is horrific, beyond critical, the Spanish people there say the system is devastated. There’s an acute shortage of equipment, and believe this or not: Healthcare workers account for 13% of COVID-19 cases, so there’s a huge shortage of medical staff.
Hotels are being turned into hospitals for those with less severe symptoms. A massive ice skating rink is now a morgue. A huge conference centre is now a field hospital. Coffee shops have turned into food banks, and the army delivers to those in need and helps with sourcing supplies. A car manufacturer is changing production lines to making ventilators and an airline is now building other vital medical equipment. Bear in mind this country has one of the best medical healthcare systems in the world, even prepared for something like this, but not on such a phenomenal scale.
Concern varies from how devastating it is for people, families, especially the elderly on their own, and how the emergency services put their lives on the front line every day despite the risk of contracting the virus.
Experts worldwide talk about “flattening the curve” so that hospitals and emergency services can cope with the number of cases. But look at any chart and beyond a spike the virus doesn’t just go away, it’s still there in a straight line. With a return to free movement are we back to square one with numbers increasing rapidly again?
“La Zenia shopping mall closing down.”
Who were the first few coronavirus infected people in Spain and where did they contract COVID-19 from?
On January 31st 2020 the first confirmed case of coronavirus was reported in the Canary Islands, part of Spain, but not mainland. On the same day Spaniards were evacuated from the place where COVID-19 originated from Wuhan in China, and landed in Madrid. A few days later another case was reported on the island of Mallorca, both had just returned from Italy.
On February 26th 2020 several confirmed cases were reported in both Madrid and Barcelona, mainland Spain. So I can only assume those 2 clusters of the virus originated from Wuhan and Italy.
How did most people in Spain contract COVID-19? Can you tell us about the biggest clusters and how those happened?
I think we’ve all had time to learn the several ways COVID-19 can spread from person to person so easily. It’s the same on a global scale. It might be helpful to know that in the past couple of days 2 more symptoms have been reported. Lack of smell or taste, and that it can sit in the digestive system and cause symptoms similar to food poisoning.
Density of population is a major factor worldwide, Madrid, Barcelona and Catalonia are examples of the authorities being so overwhelmed so quickly, perhaps speed of containment was secondary. Even so, free movement in those huge regions turned into voluntary isolation then enforced isolation in a short space of time. (This happened before the whole country was quarantined).
So, for several weeks of emergency quarantine being 500 kilometres away from us, life here on the coast still carried on as normal.
New clusters have recently been reported in smaller regions. Fortunately we have zero cases where we live on the Costa Blanca.
What measures has the government of Spain imposed to keep the COVID-19 outbreak under control? We know the whole of Spain is in lockdown but what does that really mean? What can’t you do and what must you do?
On Friday 13th March (appropriate date) the Government declared a National Emergency, the whole country was initially shut down for 2 weeks, borders closed, airports, and normal transport don’t exist anymore. These strict measures are now Europe wide, some countries have slight differences on travel within their country. Last week leaders of the EU closed all external borders for 1 month.
For us humans this means staying inside and only being allowed out for essentials which include visits to supermarkets, pharmacies, and gas stations. They are the only places that remain open. The few people who have to go to work are those who keep essential supplies available to us (even a till operator needs paperwork to prove where they work). And of course all emergency services are free to drive wherever they need to. Another exception to the rule are lorries crossing borders delivering life’s necessities.
Just one person (the driver) is allowed in a car and has to keep a receipt of where they’ve been shopping in case of being stopped by the police. No unnecessary journeys are allowed, and no taxi services are operating. Banks, solicitors, doctors (doctors surgeries are closed, but we have a local emergency number to call if necessary, and a doctor will come out to the house), dentists, schools, nurseries, post offices, bars, restaurants, hotels, swimming pools, gyms, every beach and all shops that don’t sell food are shut down, including car garages. They are only available to service essential lorries/wagons.
One of our cars is nearing its ITV date—“Inspecction Tecnica de Vihiculos”. If it goes beyond that date the car would normally be classed as illegal on the roads. No problem, it doesn’t matter anymore, there’s nowhere open to get it done.
There must be a few I’ve missed out there but it doesn’t matter considering all we have open are supermarkets, chemists, and petrol stations. No free movement for anything except essentials, let’s face it, that’s all there is available.
Dog owners are the only people allowed out on foot alone, while walking their dog once a day. (We’ve even discussed borrowing someone else’s and taking turns.) Sadly, this is the first time cranes aren’t moving since the upturn here in 2010. Even building sites are off limits.
People are working from home, that’s not a problem, but they’ve had to free up bandwidth for the internet across Europe because everyone’s watching Netflix, YouTube, etc, or making video calls. Here at our casa, our son who’s working from home owns Netflix (and his PlayStation) during the day, and we have ownership of Netflix at night. It works quite well aside from arguing about who’s got the sound bar on too loud. What would we do without Wi-Fi?
Drones with cameras are the only things airborne, and there are many police roadblocks. We wouldn’t be able to drive beyond our province (unnecessary travel) without it being an emergency.
This is a truly bizarre situation to be in when there’s no reported cases nearby. Liberty and freedom disappeared overnight. Sounds draconian? Leaders of other free countries thought so at first, yet within a week they were doing the same thing. Down here on the coast we feel “relatively” safe from an invisible enemy, however it also feels a bit like we’re a collective experiment!
Will this pre-emptive lock down work? Only time will tell, but whatever it takes right? At first we were told this situation would last for 2 weeks, Day 8 we were told another 2 weeks were added to it, and a couple of days ago yet another 2 weeks. A total of 6 weeks so far which takes us to the end of April. But looking at the number of new cases and deaths going up so fast elsewhere, who knows? There are places in this country resembling war zones.
How effective do you think the above measures have been in stopping the spread of the virus? What was done well and what could have been done better?
As inconvenient as it is, at first I thought enforced isolation was a bit much when there are no cases, but now it feels essential. Here on the coast we’ve escaped the COVID-19 crisis. So now, as inconvenient as it is, we feel protected, strict measures have been put in place sooner rather than later. Distance and boredom are now a good thing, even though we all moan and whinge.
After watching other democratic countries dither about freedom vs human rights, let me tell you: There’s “advice” which goes ignored by some idiots, therefore defeating the objective. There’s mandatory lockdown between people, businesses, monitored provinces and closed borders which hopefully works.
IF and only IF full mandatory lockdown procedures are put in place soon enough does protection have a chance. For coastal areas in Spain, they may have timed total isolation right. But inland it’s too late, small clusters have appeared outside of Madrid and Barcelona.
I know it’s too soon to say, but as yet cases are still rising rapidly in the most affected areas I’ve mentioned, the death toll every day is alarming. Surely those figures should be dropping by now, but as yet they’re still rising.
This is Heather.
2 Spanish ministers (the minister for territorial policy, Carolina Darias and the equality minister, Irene Montero) have tested positive for the virus. How do you think that happened?
Until recent days, senior officials and dignitaries haven’t used the elbow bump on camera enough. Seems like they prefer grand announcements to be made while standing next to each other, shaking hands with someone who may have the virus, in what may be a place with contaminated surfaces.
I noticed this continued long after they’d announced their citizens should refrain from all of the above and use the elbow bump. While the rest of us are overloading Skype for conversation and video calling, there they were, doing exactly what we’ve been told not to and not doing exactly what we’ve been told to.
A couple of days ago it was announced that Boris Johnson and the UK health minister both have the coronavirus. Oh the irony, I have no sympathy for those who arrogantly thought they were immune, it’s a kind of “justice” for ignoring the limitations they set for everyone else. For goodness sake even citizens of this country and others who do the double kiss thing gave that up yonks ago, but there’s more precaution required than that.
However, it seems they’ve finally got the message. I saw a video call with a Spanish minister in voluntary self-quarantine on the news last night. Donald Dump is moaning about being in the White House on his own playing with his Lego wall, and we the people have to put up with this crap.
Another disappointment came today: Prince Charles got the coronavirus and self-isolated for just 1 week. The rest of us Europeans have been told 2 weeks… Doctors have been following the rules, perhaps they should be in power.
What is the status of food, water and medical supplies in Spain right now? Are there any shortages? What is the plan for those shortages if so?
In our area, Day 1 of lockdown was all about panic buying, I have photos of empty shelves. We even bought serviettes as toilet paper! Since then we were told supermarket supplies would not be affected.
5 days later was a test run of this theory. Hand sanitiser and plastic gloves provided at the door plus a wipe-down of the trolley with anti-bac. The shelves were full, and the place itself devoid of people. We even had 4 different makes of overpriced toilet paper to choose from! What more could you ask for while in quarantine?
BUT, another 5 days later was a whole different story, I’d say shelves were almost half empty and no toilet paper of any kind. I really wish I could remember exactly what day and time it was “the day the shelves were full”. It might be the golden hour. Conclusion: Panic buying has stopped, but people are stocking up more than usual.
My husband just went down to the supermarket in our car, and our son in his (only the driver in a car). But they forgot about keeping 2 metres distance from each other while shopping, and got a stern telling off from a security guard.
At first we thought a supermarket visit might be a possibility for social supermarket gatherings. For instance, message your friends round the corner: “I’m setting off now, see ya down the toilet paper aisle in 5 mins.” NOPE, even standing at opposite ends of the aisle wouldn’t work either, besides, what else is there to shout to each other about except which series you’re watching on Netflix, and on a scale of 1 to 10 how insane you feel today.
Today’s report about what’s on the shelves was interesting: well stocked on food, but no toilet paper, are people resorting to eating it now? There’s plenty of bottled water here on the Costa, there always is and many people have filter taps like us. No problem with water pressure either, our fresh water comes from desalination plants out at sea, and medical supplies are not affected.
Have you and those around you done anything to prepare for the possibility that the novel coronavirus pandemic might get worse?
To be honest, with reference to the pandemic getting worse, there’s nothing we can do except donate to charity, adhere to quarantine rules and watch the news. There is no cheating the lockdown here, everyone knows how critical this situation is, so it’s a sit and wait situation for us. Meanwhile the coronavirus pandemic just gets worse in the cities. The number of cases continues to rise every day.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your life and that of those around you?
Self-containment, social distancing, washing hands more often, cleaning surfaces with anti-bac more than usual. Most of the time is spent online every day. Oh, and I’m still writing my blog, focusing on satire helps! I couldn’t be bothered doing a workout though, those days are gone for now. Forget maintaining my abs, the need for entertainment is more important.
It’s now got to the stage whereby we know the only places at any level of risk are the supermarket or the chemist. Gas stations are ok, no-one is allowed in, there’s a kiosk where you pay, and if you need anything from inside, just say and the guy passes it to you. Thankfully the risk is minimal, but who knows if ultra early quarantine works? We’ve all been told to use debit cards, not coins.
What will you do if you or those who live with you develop symptoms of the virus? What do the authorities of Spain want you to do?
To be honest, we haven’t seriously discussed the possibility of any of us getting the virus, probably because it’s so far away. Naïve? Perhaps, but we know what to do, isolate (whoever) in one room. However, even if the symptoms were mild, I wouldn’t take any chances about severity, ring the emergency services ASAP.
The authorities have given us regional numbers to call and as previously stated a doctor comes to your house to test and assess (everyone).
There’s 3 of us living in our house, my husband and I both took early retirement, and our son is an estate agent working from home now. As you can imagine there isn’t much for him to do except keep in touch with clients who can’t leave their own country, and wouldn’t be allowed in here!
“Empty main roads in rain!”
If you did contract COVID-19, what do you think your odds of surviving it are and why do you think so?
If I contracted COVID-19 I´m guessing my odds would be fairly good. All 3 of us have taken vitamin C and Vitamin B (iron) in soluble form for years. We each have our own exercise routines, which admittedly have gone out the window for 16 days. None of us are obese or have any underlying health problems. The last time I had a cold was about 2 years ago.
I’ve heard people talk about starting to take vitamin C now, sadly it doesn’t work that way, in order for it to improve immunity a person has to have been taking it for years, every day and not in tablet form. How do I know all this? My grandmother was a chemist, and a pioneer of how vitamins and minerals can help the immune system in the 1930’s. Never as a cure for anything other than a basis of resistance and prevention if taken regularly.
When do you think this COVID-19 pandemic will end and why do you think so?
Dr Fauci is the leading expert of infectious diseases in the USA. I watched an interview of his today where he stated that this was the worst case scenario of any respiratory borne pandemic he has ever studied. One that easily spreads from one person to another with a high degree of fatality and morbidity. He called COVID-19 devastating. Even this leading health expert, the guy who’s advised several different presidents about infectious diseases, knows several outcomes. But not which one. He also said the virus is the clock and we can’t know when a turnaround will occur because it’s too unpredictable.
So basically my answer is this, if he doesn’t know, then neither do any of us.
What are the best and worst examples of humanity you’ve seen since the COVID-19 crisis broke out?
In Spain, the best examples are the doctors, nurses, specialists, police, paramedics who are willing to enter this war zone every day, work for many hours, put themselves at risk of infection, and continue to do so. Even though their own colleagues are contracting this virus in the thousands. 14% of COVID-19 cases, are now medical staff.
Retired doctors and nurses going back to work. Coffee shops providing food for emergency services. Seamstresses are making masks. Car manufacturers switching production lines from cars to ventilators. Plane manufacturers making medical equipment. Donated food bank collection points, usually at ex-restaurants, delivered by taxi drivers. Overstretched emergency services, paramedics, police, helping in any way they can. The army, responsible for turning hotels into field hospitals. An ice rink into a morgue. A conference centre into Europe’s biggest field hospital. Disinfecting empty train stations, airports, and transport of desperately needed equipment in army trucks.
All these brave heroes get a round of applause, a tribute for their services throughout Madrid and Barcelona every night at 8pm. People sing from their balconies and let their gratitude be heard. It started in Italy, and other EU countries now do the same.
There´s even a YouTube video where 3 police cars drive down a road in Spain with sirens blaring and lights flashing. Then they all get out and sing in the road while one of them plays a guitar to the people, for the people. (They were on a shift change so don’t judge.)
Truly heart warming, it brings tears to my eyes.
Unfortunately the worst I’ve seen is a video of drunken Brit yobs fighting with Spanish police officers in Benidorm. Apparently they tried to break into a (closed bar) after they’d worked their way through several bottles of god knows what from a liquor store first.
Why is it always the Brits? Truly heart breaking.
Which 3 items or people are most useful for you right now?
2 out of 3, my husband and son, which is all about companionship, not usage, caring for each other remains the same under any circumstances.
And there’s a number 4, keeping my sense of humour alive.
Lastly, what have you learned from this novel coronavirus outbreak that you didn’t know before?
What I’ve learned from the coronavirus is to remain positive, and stay safe while in quarantine. It’s also made me realise how precious FREEDOM is, and how under normal circumstances we take it all for granted.
Heather has no more goals for the future (“I don’t need goals anymore, I’ve been to so many countries in my life and experienced everything on the average bucket list.”) but you can find out what she gets up to in Spain on her blog, twobritsinspain.com or ask her more about the situation in Spain using the comment box below.
Tomorrow we speak with someone closer to the pandemic, who is living in a building with 3 infected residents. Follow the latest in our COVID-19 Diaries series here.
If you’re in a country that has 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 Heather Rowsell. Interviewer: Sy Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here. If you found this article useful:
JT lives in an area in Hong Kong where several cases of COVID-19 were found over a short period of time and an apartment building was even evacuated after 4 people from 2 households were found to be infected. We asked him how he dealt with that and all the other changes COVID-19 brings.
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“I was very terrified and avoided going out to minimise risk of infection.”
Q: There were several cases found near your apartment, is that true?
A: Yes, a few cases were found in Tsing Yi within a week.(Villa Esplanada and Hong Mei House respectively). The cases in Hong Mei House were suspected to be infected by aerosol transmission. The government evacuated around a hundred people at midnight immediately.
[Interviewer Note: During aerosol transmission, the virus is suspended as very tiny droplets in the air, viable for around 30 minutes.]
How were you affected by the outbreak? And what do you think of aerosol transmission?
Since my home is quite close to the [Hong Mei House] building (a 10-minute walk away), I was very terrified and avoided going out to minimise risk of infection. I use disinfectant to sterilise the house every day. I think aerosol transmission is not too different from airborne transmission. The people in Hong Mei House were infected by the contaminated air droplets transmitted via ventilation pipes.
So some people got infected simply by staying at home?
The infected patients were living in same block. The government said the virus could have been transmitted via a vent pipe in the toilet. Possibly because one of the pipes was wrongly designed or too old.
JT’s stash of masks.
If the virus keeps spreading in your area, what will you do to fight against it?
The people in my building said there was an infected case here. Terrified, I stocked up a lot of food supplies, disinfectant and masks (around 200 masks). I also stayed home for many days since I can work from home being a back office staff in a bank. However, it turned out to be a false positive case.
Do you enjoy working from home?
Not really. I have not been feeling very well. My legs have started to cramp recently, maybe because of the lack of exercise at home. I got diarrhoea three days ago and am still not feeling well.
I read from the newspaper that some of the staff in a bank were found not doing their jobs right—they went hiking when they were supposed to be working at home. Do you think working from home works?
Working from home makes me more efficient at this point. I don’t know about the others plus the people on the news are from another bank.
The residents of Hong Mei House have since been returned to their homes after all 101 of them tested negative for the virus. JT cannot imagine what life would be like next, other than knowing he would likely not be travelling. “I used to go several times per year…”
More interviews with people whose lives have been disrupted by COVID-19 coming up next week. Follow the latest in our COVID-19 Diaries series here.
If you’re in a country that has 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 JT. Interviewer: Kauai Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here. If you found this article useful:
AG is a mother living in South Africa, 11,785km from China. Her child was recently diagnosed with ‘pneumonia’ but did not get tested for COVID-19. As she and her mother-in-law have also developed symptoms similar to that of the novel coronavirus, we asked her what she’s been doing to get her family feeling better.
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“This is not the flu!”
Q: When did you first hear about the COVID-19 novel coronavirus and what did you think of it then?
A: I first heard about it in January. I told my hubby in early Jan that we were going to have a heck of a thing on our hands soon. He wanted to know why I was worried about something on another continent. Now he’s all apologetic and I feel a little smug now since COVID-19 arrived in South Africa on 5 March.
It seems Africa is the least affected continent so far. How afraid of the coronavirus are you now?
The first 2 confirmed cases are quite far from where we are… about 1000km from where we stay. Thankfully I had bought enough masks and hand sanitisers quite a while ago. However, I am worried there will be an outbreak because many people have compromised immune systems due to HIV, AIDS and TB. (South Africa has the biggest HIV epidemic in the world, with 7.7 million people living with HIV. HIV prevalence among the general population is high at 20.4%.) Besides, one of my children caught the typical pneumonia and was on medication.
How old is your kid? Are schools closed in your city now?
One of my children (5 years old) was coughing badly about 2 weeks ago. I heard a ‘drowning’ sound in his chest. Rhonchi is what it is called. That’s when I took our child out of school. I am still wondering when is the time for parents to ask for school closures.
The kid was diagnosed with pneumonia, but was not tested for COVID-19. As treatment, we received oral antibiotics and were told to self-isolate. We haven’t travelled out of the country nor have we been in contact with anyone who travelled from anywhere as far as we know.
The iodine gargle AG uses.
Do you yourself have any symptoms such as fever and coughing?
I had a tight chest and a red throat last week. After using an iodine gargle and taking Lugol’s iodine in water for 3 days, my throat is perfect and chest 95% better now. I am very keen on more natural remedies that have been proven by science. Povidone iodine is safe for most people to use. However, my mum-in-law staying with us is also coughing.
[LUCK-IT Disclaimer: Always check with your doctor before attempting any of the above.]
How many cases are there in South Africa? What measures has the government of South Africa applied so far?
We now have 7 confirmed cases (as of 10 March) but no flights have been cancelled. People from China, Iran, Italy (Italy has been in lockdown) can come and go as they please. Honestly. The WHO [World Health Organisation] has been too slow in reacting and are actually encouraging our government to keep flights going. They say that canceling flights won’t do anything. People should rather quarantine themselves.
To me that makes no sense. Cancelling flights effectively quarantines the whole country from incoming infection. It must be taken seriously. Italy is in complete lockdown. China is in complete lockdown. This is not the flu!
How us your child? Is she still having fever and cough?
She is getting better, but I don’t think it is the antibiotics. Her chest was still very tight until late morning.
AG still doesn’t know if her child had contracted COVID-19 or not.
Tomorrow, we’ll speak with someone in Hong Kong who lives in a neighbourhood with numerous COVID-19 cases and even one building evacuation, to know how he’s been coping with that. Follow the latest in our COVID-19 Diaries series here.
If you’re in a country that has 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 AG. Interviewer: Kauai Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here. If you found this article useful:
Ting is an immigrant from Asia who moved to New York City a few years ago. She tells us what it’s like living with the New York Governor’s Stay-At-Home order while the numbers of COVID-19 infected in New York—12,033km away from Wuhan, China—keeps growing.
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“The so-called New York lockdown is not exactly like the Wuhan lockdown (way less strict).”
Q: When did you first hear about the COVID-19 novel coronavirus and how did you respond at first?
A: Back in December 2019 or early Jan 2020. We did nothing at first because it seemed so far from us…
There are around 50K cases in New York at the moment. If things get worse, what will you do to protect yourself and your family from COVID-19?
We have basically been working from home in the past 2 weeks in accordance with the New York governor’s executive order and did not go out unless it was absolutely necessary (e.g. getting groceries once or twice a week). Our fridge is always full, there won’t be a problem if we are not able to refill food for 2 weeks. Whenever we have to leave our apartment, we wear a mask. I have stocked up 160 masks so I think it is fine.
The number of novel coronavirus infections in the United States is growing significantly (US’s 123,578 vs China’s 81,439 at the point of this interview), but Donald Trump wants to “reopen the economy by Easter”. Do you think he can make that happen? Will you leave the United States if an executive order to reopen things is invoked in April?
I think it is unrealistic. At least in New York City. But I am not leaving the States even if they try to reopen things to boost the economy in April.
A less busy New York. People can go out when necessary.
The news said President Trump was considering an “enforceable quarantine” in New York. What did you prepare with regards to this?
I heard this but I simply ignored what he said as he is being bipolar every now and then, you never know what is in his mind.
Who do you trust more to save New York: Donald Trump or Andrew Cuomo? Do you think the current measures taken in New York State are good enough?
Cuomo for sure. All non-essential businesses need to close now（e.g. shopping malls, salons, gyms, cinemas), but public transport is still running. The so-called New York lockdown is not exactly like the Wuhan lockdown (way less strict). I think the current measures are ok but it seems more enforcement is needed.
The US government aims to provide free testing for COVID-19 but their plans have not yet included the cost of treatment. How do you feel about that?
Luckily I have insurance plans that cover me and my family…
Do you think discrimination against Asian peoples has been getting worse because of COVID-19? As an Asian living in New York City, do you think it safe at the moment?
I personally do not feel that and still feel safe at the moment, probably because I am living in a neighbourhood with a significant Asian population (>25%).
Tomorrow, we’ll chat with a mother in South Africa whose child has been diagnosed with pneumonia but cannot get tested for COVID-19. Follow the latest in our COVID-19 Diaries series here.
If you’re in a country that has 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 Ting. Interviewer: Kauai Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here. If you found this article useful:
Naya is a university student in Jakarta, Indonesia, 4,166km away from Wuhan, China. She lives with her mom, dad and younger sister, and told us how the Indonesian government’s decision to reduce transportation routes to deal with the spread of the virus might have inadvertently caused new cases to form because of the long lines that resulted.
“My friend almost got harassed on the train and only one person helped. In the middle of this pandemic, there are still people out there trying to sexually harass someone and that is sad.”
Q: Hi Naya, thanks for speaking with us all the way from Indonesia! When did you first hear about the 2019-nCoV novel coronavirus and what did you think of it then?
A: I heard it first through news on social media. I saw videos of people in Wuhan, China collapsed on streets or simply lying there. I thought it shocking and worth noticing. But honestly, I thought that it would die down soon.
How concerned are you and the people of Indonesia now? How many are infected or dead because of the virus in Indonesia at the moment of this interview?
Currently, 369 people are positive and 32 people are dead. I am very concerned because the numbers are increasing fast. Mortality level here is very high, more than China and Italy. I can’t speak for all of the people in Indonesia, but some of us care and some of us think that this is the opportunity to go on a vacation.
“My food supplies! It’s not piling up because we can still order food online.”
Who were the first few coronavirus infected people in Indonesia and where did they contract COVID-19 from?
2 people, mother and daughter, first got infected when they interacted with a person from Japan. When that person went back to Malaysia, it turned out that he got the virus. That’s why the mother and daughter got checked to see if they got it.
How did most people in Indonesia contract COVID-19? Can you tell us about the biggest clusters and how those happened?
Biggest cluster is probably the long line of people waiting for the TransJakarta bus until [they spilled out onto] the streets. The government reduced transportation routes so many people piled up on certain lines. Over the past few days, influencers have helped charities and supplied hospitals but there are still people that go outside due to their jobs so I think that could also be the primary cause.
Another photo of Naya’s food stash.
Indonesian Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has been infected with COVID-19. How do you think that happened?
I actually believe that this virus had been in Indonesia for a while. People know that they are positive only because of getting medical check-ups but here in Indonesia we have to go to the hospital IF we want to get checked up. It is not a MUST to go to the hospital. I don’t know for sure how he got COVID-19, maybe because he interacted with someone that is infected but both of them didn’t know.
What is the status of food, water and medical supplies in Indonesia right now? Are there any shortages? What is the plan for those shortages if so?
Fortunately, we still have all of the supplies. People can order food and vegetables through online apps so that is really helping us right now. Supermarkets limited certain things to prevent panic buying.
Have you and those around you done anything to prepare for the possibility that the novel coronavirus pandemic might get worse?
I don’t have a plan. All I’m doing right now is staying at home with my family. If it did happen, I don’t have anywhere else to go other than my home so I’ll try my best to stay inside and healthy.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your life and that of those around you?
I have to do online classes because of COVID-19. I can’t have meetings with my organisation and my show got postponed until November. So it is really affecting my life right now. My friends are all disappointed and sad because we can’t hang out like we used to. My father has to work from home and do all of the meetings [at home]. The time schedule is the worst because there is no clear boundaries between work and break.
“My ‘working space’. Sometimes my father uses it for meetings. I usually just lie on my bed and do online classes.”
What will you do if you or those who live with you develop symptoms of the virus? What do the authorities of Indonesia want you to do?
If that occurs, we have to get them checked immediately. We should go to the referral hospital. Then, that person would have to isolate themselves while waiting for the test. If he is infected, an ambulance will pick him up and take him to the [other] hospital.
When do you think this COVID-19 pandemic will end and why do you think so?
Honestly, I have no idea. If people don’t take this seriously, then this pandemic will continue. I know they found the vaccine, but if people are still careless I don’t think it will end.
What are the best and worst examples of humanity you’ve seen since the COVID-19 crisis broke out?
The best one: Influencers in Indonesia dedicated some of their money to raise for charity to the hospital. They are also giving out safety suits to them.
The worst one? My friend almost got harassed on the train and only one person helped. In the middle of this pandemic, there are still people out there trying to sexually harass someone and that is sad.
Which 3 items or people are most useful for you right now?
They are my family, soap, and internet. ^-^
The last time Naya went out, she wore this. That was 3 days before this interview was done.
Where are you answering this Q&A from? Can you describe the situation in your neighborhood right now?
I’m answering this from my house, my room to be exact. My neighbourhood is a school zone yet right now it is very quiet. I don’t see people hanging out on the streets anymore.
Lastly, what have you learned from this novel coronavirus outbreak that you didn’t know before?
The proper steps to wash your hands. I know it’s a common thing, but I didn’t always do those steps before. This novel coronavirus actually made me a better person in terms of hygiene. I’m paying much more attention to small things like wearing a mask when you’re sick, and coughing or sneezing into the bend of your arm, etc.
Naya is presently trying her best to get through this semester via online classes. She hoped to be able to be a social researcher once finishing her degree in Sociology but is presently simply waiting to see. You can read more about her on her blog nightimewriter153211359.wordpress.com or ask her for updates on the situation in Indonesia using the comment box below.
We have more interviews with people in other parts of the world coming up next week. Follow the latest in our COVID-19 Diaries series here.
If you’re in a country that has 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.
Eleonora is from Milan, capital of the Lombardy region in Italy that has been hardest hit by COVID-19. She told us about the restrictions presently surrounding her, 8,684km away from Wuhan, China, and that nobody in Italy really knows how the first few Italian locals got infected.
“It all happened through social interaction.”
Q: Hi Eleonora, thanks for speaking with us all the way from Italy! When did you first hear about the 2019-nCoV novel coronavirus and what did you think of it then?
A: Hi Sara, thank you for hosting me first of all. I first heard about novel coronavirus back in January when the news was reporting what was happening in Wuhan but honestly, I did not pay too much attention to it at the beginning as it was happening far away. I was following the situation, although with a certain detachment.
Only later, on January 31 when, as a consequence of two Chinese tourists being hospitalised in Rome, the Italian Government declared the state of emergency, stopping all direct flights from China, did I realise how serious the situation was getting.
Yet life here (I live in Milan) was running as usual. Then, on February 21, the first Italian case was announced and everything changed.
How concerned are you and the people of Italy now? How many are infected or dead because of the virus in Italy at the moment of this interview?
I am very concerned actually as there are many people infected in Italy, yet there is part of the population either in denial or minimising the seriousness of it as well as minimising the dangerousness of this virus.
As per last night, the data is dramatic: The total number of cases of contagion is 35,713. A number that includes the 28,710 people currently positive (a 2648 increase in the number of people currently positive from the day before), the 4,025 patients cured and the 2,978 people who died.
To date, there are 14,363 patients with related SARS-CoV-2 symptoms, 2,257 patients in intensive care, and 12,090 in home isolation. There have been 165,541 swabs carried out in Italy since the beginning of the epidemic. 475 people died in the last 24 hours
Who were the first few coronavirus infected people in Italy and where did they contract COVID-19 from?
Patient 1 was a 38-year-old sportsman from Codogno, a small village 60km away from Milan. His wife was found positive too, as well as many of the people who had been with him in the ER waiting room. It is not clear how he contracted the virus.
According to research by the well-known virologist Professor Massimo Galli, the entry of the new coronavirus in Italy dates back to January 25. COVID-19 began to circulate on our territory on that very day from the Codogno area.
Just 3 days earlier, the virus was isolated in Germany from a German manager infected by a Chinese colleague from Shanghai. The German strain turned out to be very similar to that of the one in Codogno.
How did most people in Italy contract COVID-19? Can you tell us about the biggest clusters and how those happened?
It all happened through social interaction. First cluster, as said, happened in Codogno. The guy used to run in a team and play soccer. When what he thought was a simple flu started worsening, he went to the ER. Once there, he sat in the waiting room with many other people, probably for hours.
Another cluster, though a smaller one, started in Vo’ Euganeo, a small village near Padua; it is not clear if any of the people who came out to be positive to the virus there came into contact with people in the Codogno area.
At the moment, Bergamo and Brescia are the cities with the most cases which makes Lombardy the most hit region in Italy.
What measures has the government of Italy imposed to keep the COVID-19 outbreak under control? We know the whole of Italy is in lockdown but what does that really mean? What can’t you do and what must you do?
On February 22, the Italian Council of Ministers announced a new decree law to contain the epidemic, which provided for the quarantine of over 50,000 people from 11 different municipalities in northern Italy, including Codogno. The area was named the Red Zone. No one was allowed to leave those cities or enter them. Mandatory quarantine was imposed at their homes with permission to leave only for food and pharmaceutical shopping and with the obligation to wear protective masks. All for the duration of 14 days. Police officers were placed on guard. The penalties for violation of the blockade ranged from 206 euros fine up to 3 months imprisonment.
On March 7, as the virus kept spreading, the lockdown was extended to all Lombardy (schools and universities, together with gyms had been closed 2 weeks earlier) and 2 days later all of the peninsula got included.
Only food stores and pharmacies have been allowed to stay open since then; access to these stores is limited to allow at least 1 metre distance from one another. Face masks are highly recommended.
We cannot leave our houses unless we have to go to work, to the supermarket or pharmacy, or if we have to, for example, assist relatives in need. When leaving our house, we have to fill in certification to be shown to the policemen patrolling the streets. If they determine that you made a false statement then you risk being reported for epidemic spread.
The Government has also launched a series of economic interventions to support citizens who are unable to work and therefore do not have an income.
How effective do you think the above measures have been in stopping the spread of the virus? What was done well and what could have been done better?
The more the population respects the lockdown and stays at home, the faster the virus will stop spreading. This is the only way to defeat this invisible enemy.
The death rate of novel coronavirus infected patients in Italy is higher than most other countries. Why do you think that is the case?
There are different reasons why this is happening: Italy has the oldest population in Europe and as you know the virus is more aggressive on older people. And we have a population density of 200 per square meter.
What is the status of food, water and medical supplies in Italy right now? Are there any shortages? What is the plan for those shortages if so?
When the first restrictions were announced, people freaked out and emptied most supermarkets, but we have never experienced a shortage of any kind except for face masks and sanitising hand gels. Police are checking on people who are trying to exploit the situation and sell those items for more.
Have you and those around you done anything to prepare for the possibility that the novel coronavirus pandemic might get worse?
I am one of the lucky ones; I can work from home and study to keep myself busy. I stay inside and respect the rules. My mother, who is 77 and lives with me, has a series of pre-conditions and I must protect her.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your life and that of those around you?
I cannot see my friends and family members as all kinds of social gathering is banned and it is hard, yet to avoid kissing or hugging my own mother is even harder; as said she is a fragile individual and I must prevent her from getting sick. Thank God we have all the means to reach faraway people and talk to them whenever we desire it.
What will you do if you or those who live with you develop symptoms of the virus? What do the authorities of Italy want you to do?
I would isolate myself to protect my mother who lives with me. We are asked to call some designated numbers if we have a temperature equal or higher than 37.5 degrees Celsius and a cough in order to inform the healthcare system. They would send people out to test your suspected positivity with the virus and evaluate if you need to be hospitalised or, if you only have mild symptoms, can take care of yourself at home though in isolation.
If you did contract COVID-19, what do you think your odds of surviving it are and why do you think so?
The official death rate in my age range (I am 45) is 0.4%. I refer to it even if there are people in the same range who ended up in IC and needed to be intubated, as it happened to Patient 1.
When do you think this COVID-19 pandemic will end and why do you think so?
I really cannot answer this question. The situation is getting worse and worse everywhere except for China which has inverted the contagion curve after its government took drastic measures. It will take months for sure and hopefully a vaccine will be ready soon.
What are the best and worst examples of humanity you’ve seen since the COVID-19 crisis broke out?
Best examples are younger people offering to buy food supplies for more fragile people in their buildings and help them with whatever they may need. I also really appreciated China helping us by sending medical supplies and doctors to help us in our fight against the virus.
Worst probably Germany and other European countries retaining the masks stocks we order from abroad. They knew how much we need them, yet they tried to keep them for themselves. EU had to intervene, threatening to sanction them.
Which 3 items or people are most useful for you right now?
Face protective masks, glasses and gloves.
Where are you answering this Q&A from? Can you describe the situation in your neighborhood right now?
I am answering these questions from my apartment in Milan. I live in quite a central area and my neighbourhood is usually very lively. At the moment, it is absolutely silent and quiet. You only see people quickly walking their dogs and a car passing by once in a while.
Lastly, what have you learned from this novel coronavirus outbreak that you didn’t know before?
I am learning not to take things for granted. Your life may change drastically in matter of hours.
Eleonora is presently working for the Italian association of financial markets professionals and also studying to become an English teacher. “I was supposed to start a course at the end of February but due to this situation it is now postponed to June; I am crossing my fingers.” She had to can her plans to visit friends in the Netherlands, UK and USA when the virus started and hopes to be able to resume travelling again at some point. You can read more about her documentation of her COVID-19 experience on her blog livinghardtimes.wordpress.com or ask her for updates on the situation in Italy by using the comment box below.
Tomorrow, we speak with a university student in Indonesia who has only just learned to wash her hands properly, thanks to COVID-19. Follow the latest in our COVID-19 Diaries series here.
If you’re in a country that has 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 MLWatts. Interviewer: Sy Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here. If you found this article useful:
Mark is from Thailand, a country 2,123km away from Wuhan, China. Although there are only 177 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Thailand at the moment of this interview, he is already well-prepared for a serious outbreak… ready to survive even if the virus wipes out 90% of the population in his country.
“I just went out with the protective suit and the P100 filtered respirator and didn’t even really get funny looks.”
Q: How afraid of the novel coronavirus are you now? How did you prepare for the COVID-19 outbreak?
A: I am pretty scared because I think at least 50% [of the time] that I have it myself and I am scared to give to my family.
I bought a respirator mask, protective clothing, a lot of supplements such as Hydroxychloriquine, Ventolin, elderberry, vitamin C, vitamin D, NAC and ALCAR. I also bought antibiotics and a pulse oximeter. In addition, electrolyte powders too for diarrhoea; it saved my life one time. On top of that, I am growing veggies at home.
[Interviewer’s research: Hydroxychloriquine is a malaria turned autoimmune drug that has been said to be effective in treating COVID-19—and has been heavily promoted by President Trump of the USA despite medical experts warning that they don’t yet know how safe and effective it really is. Ventolin is for treating shortness of breath caused by breathing problems like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Elderberry is full of antioxidants. Vitamin C is another antioxidant that also has many other benefits including the prevention of scurvy. Vitamin D is essential for building strong bones and helps prevent rickets. NAC or N-Acetyl Cysteine is used by the body to build antioxidants. ALCAR or Acetyl-L-Carnitine is an amino acid that is also produced by the human body to generate energy. Antibiotics are used to treat some types of bacterial infection. A pulse oximeter is used to measure the amount of oxygen carried within your body.]
Wow! Where did you get your protective suit and respirator mask from?
I bought the suit on lazada.co.th, a Thailand local site. [It cost] US$100, everything is reusable. For the respirator filters, I bought 20 extra sets. 🙂 The air here is so bad, it is good to have this outside to breathe normally. I think they were $6 for a pair but now they are about $20.
Are you using the gear now or keeping them for later use?
I wore these PPE (personal protective equipment) and respirator mask today. I just went out with the protective suit and the P100 filtered respirator [the respirator option that blocks the widest range of hazards] and didn’t even really get funny looks. Really, most people had masks on, maybe 75% of the people.
Mark in his protective suit with his P100 respirator.
What measures were implemented/are going to be implemented by the government of Thailand to deal with the COVID-19 virus?
They are fighting the virus in many ways. For example, temperature scans are everywhere, foreigners will have to download an app on their phone to track their movements on arrival.
How do you keep yourself from getting infected?
I’ve been already staying home now for a few weeks (but just out today with PPE), and will stay inside for a while.
Mark believes this novel coronavirus will change the world as we know it and likely not for the better. “Lots more authority and powers for those that have too much already.”
Tomorrow, we’ll chat with someone from the Lombardy region of Italy to find out what lockdown is like for one of its Milanese residents. Follow the latest in our COVID-19 Diaries series here.
If you’re in a country that has 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 Mark. Interviewer: Kauai Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here. If you found this article useful:
