Ariel Soon from the United States was living alone in Daegu when it became the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in South Korea. Now that 78 days have passed since then, we asked her what’s changed.
“Even when the daily cases went down to zero in Daegu, everyone here was still wearing masks.”
Q: Hi Ariel, welcome back! What’s happened since the last time we spoke? How’s Daegu and how are you?
A: Daegu is doing a lot better now. Korea is slowly easing its social distancing rules, although even at the beginning, I always went out to get food, so it really hasn’t affected my daily living. I live alone and don’t know anybody here, so it’s been easy for me to practice social distancing.
What are the numbers of COVID-19 infected, recovered and demised in Daegu right now? I know in mid-April there were zero new cases reported there for the first time. Have there been more new cases since then?
I would read online the daily count every day, but they haven’t been reporting the cases in Daegu on a daily basis anymore. I guess because it’s not as newsworthy. Yes, there have been only 2 or 3 cases, if any, per day lately.
What’s open and what’s closed in Daegu these days? Have you gone out to work yet?
I have been working remotely. There were always some convenience stores, shops and restaurants open during the outbreak, but now, almost all of the businesses have reopened. The schools here are still closed, but they are slowly going to allow students to return to school in phases. Banks and government offices are open, but I tried to go to the local library the other day, and since I don’t know any Korean, I don’t know if it was open or not. There was someone standing in front of one of the many entrances (it’s a huge building) and she told me something in Korean. I didn’t think it was enough to make a fuss about, so I just left.
How sports is done in Daegu these days.
Is mask-wearing mandatory? And are people still encouraged to stay home?
Yes. They won’t let you inside the store if you are not wearing a mask. There are signs everywhere. I thought it was so funny that even when the daily cases went down to zero in Daegu, everyone here was still wearing masks. If this was America, everyone would just fling their masks aside by now, but Koreans are extra cautious. They are afraid of the second wave and are really vigilant about it. That’s why some people still stay at home.
How do you think South Korea managed to get the outbreak in Daegu under control? What helped most?
From my observations—I hope I don’t offend anyone by saying this—South Korea is a relatively small, homogeneous country. This makes managing a pandemic easier, I guess, when everybody carries similar views and will comply with the rules for the greater good. It’s also easier to trace and track down those that infected people have come into contact with. The privacy issues that exist in America don’t really exist here, so it’s easy to send texts and call them because that information is readily available. There was a small outbreak reported this past week all the way in Seoul. It seems to have started at a nightclub neighbourhood and everybody freaked out about it, but they were able to use credit card transaction details and cell phone data from the cell towers in the area at that specific time to track down the people who could have been potentially infected. Luckily, as of now, it doesn’t seem that the outbreak is as big as they feared. I’m hoping that is the case.
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Now that there’s been a new outbreak in Seoul in recent days, how do you think things will change again in South Korea? Do you think they will be able to get the second wave of outbreaks under control again?
I hope so! That’s the thing about Korea. They have never let their guard down this whole time. They have been continuing to wear masks and provide hand sanitizers everywhere. This is all from my limited observation, of course, and I am sure there have been a lot of group gatherings here, but this is just from what I’ve seen by walking down the street.
You’re from U.S. so what are your thoughts on the situation there in comparison to the situation in South Korea?
Obviously, S. Korea’s handling it much better than the U.S.. A note for back home: Now is not the time to be fighting about individual rights. We are all in this together.
More on how sports is done.
What advice do you have for those in the U.S. after what you’ve seen and been through in Daegu?
Wear a mask.
Is there anything South Korea can learn from the U.S. response to COVID-19, you think?
What not to do.
Lastly, what do you miss most about life before this pandemic?
I know how fortunate I am, given all those who are suffering out there during this time, but the reason why I moved over here was to explore and travel. I wish I had more opportunity to do that, but I know that there are more important things to be concerned about right now.
A banner recently on the streets of Daegu.
Ariel intends to continue living in South Korea. You can read more of her thoughts on living through a pandemic at her blog, woundedcat.wordpress.com, or ask her about the situation in South Korea using the comment box below.
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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.
Photographs courtesy and copyright of Ariel Soon. Interviewer: Sy Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here. If you found this article useful:
77 days ago, we interviewed James from Canada who was on extended vacation in Seoul during the height of the coronavirus pandemic in South Korea. Now that things in South Korea seem to be under control, we checked in on him to find out what’s changed.
“I’m extremely thankful I decided to stay in Seoul rather than head home.”
Q: Hi James, welcome back! What’s happened since the last time we spoke? Are you still in Seoul and have you been well?
A: It feels like the time has flown by without much really happening. I’ve been hanging around Seoul, bouncing between a few guesthouses (and the odd hotel room when I’m feeling decadent, haha). I’ve spent a lot of the time seeing what I can of the city and some of the surrounding areas like Paju, although a lot of attractions like museums and sporting events remain closed. Parks and restaurants have remained open the entire time here, so they’re what I’ve been focused on. I’ve also been taking some online courses to keep my mind engaged.
One of the parks James has been walking around in.
Heard you’ve since found yourself a job in Ireland? How did you manage to do that when most companies around the world are either in lockdown or cost cutting?
I’d like to say it was wise planning on my part but it was a lot of luck. When I arrived in Korea in January I knew I’d needed to start looking for work soon, and even though I wasn’t searching that aggressively I saw one job I was extremely interested in and applied. After a couple interviews and a skills competition I was offered a position and immediately took it—by this time, the effects of COVID-19 on the economy were becoming apparent and new job postings were drying up fast.
Earlier in March many countries restricted entry for visitors from South Korea. Will that pose any problems for your move to Ireland?
I’m planning on riding it out here as long as possible to make entry into Ireland as trouble-free as I can. I’ve got permission to stay until July 8th but I’ve heard of tourists able to get a month extension, so I might try to do that. I’m also waiting on a work visa and I have no idea how the virus will impact the timeline of receiving that, either. Fortunately my new employer put conditions in my contract that allow for the start date to be pushed back in the event the virus impacts my arrival.
What are the numbers of COVID-19 infected, recovered and demised in Seoul right now? What about in Korea as a whole?
I’m not really sure about the numbers specific to Seoul, but I believe the country is around 11,000 total infections. For a while it seemed like it was done with, as there was a span of numerous days with zero community transmissions, but there’s been a recent spike around the neighbourhood of Itaewon, with 25-35 new cases per day for much of this week.
South Korea began easing restrictions a month or so ago. How did that change life for you?
Honestly I barely noticed the change. The impact has mostly been limited to students, sporting events and cultural sites, and the easing of restrictions didn’t apply to those. Compared to discussions I’ve had with friends and family in Canada and the US regarding the conditions in those places, it feels like we haven’t even had restrictions here.
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Now that there’s been a new outbreak in Seoul in recent days, how do you think things will change again in South Korea?
I’ve definitely noticed a bit of an anti-foreigner sentiment following this new outbreak. The neighbourhood the new outbreak occurred in, Itaewon, is very popular among expats, so I think some residents are more wary of foreigners. I’ve had a couple of negative interactions with strangers in recent days, situations that were clearly due to me being a foreigner, and that’s extremely unusual for Korea.
You’re from Canada so what are your thoughts on the situation there in comparison to the situation in South Korea?
Even though there have been stints of boredom here, I’m extremely thankful I decided to stay in Seoul rather than head home. Most people I’ve spoken with back home are a bit stir-crazy now, unable to go out or do much.
Another park James has been walking around in.
What advice do you have for people around the world who have lost their jobs because of COVID-19 and are hoping to get a new one too?
That’s tough, as I feel I was extremely fortunate to get the one I did. I guess I would suggest doing anything they can to advance their career prospects with their time off, through online courses, practicing as much as they can, or whatever could apply to their line of work.
Which 3 items or people are now most important to you?
My laptop, my boots, and my backpack.
The National Assembly in Seoul during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lastly, what else have you learned in the time since we last spoke that you didn’t know before?
I kind of knew this already, but it’s really becoming apparent to me how much I miss work. I’m extremely stoked to get to Ireland and start working again.
Once James gets to Ireland and settles in, he plans to return to Nova Scotia in Canada to visit his family for a bit. “And then get to know Ireland as well as possible. I’m interested in learning the Irish language as well, and hope to take some night courses in Dublin.” You can follow him as he does this through his blog, distancefromnormal.com.
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Lorne Anderson is a human rights consultant from Ottawa, Canada who is living temporarily in the southern Black Forest region of Germany while working to support the persecuted church in the Middle East and North Africa—“My German is limited, and no-one speaks English so we have a certain amount of normal social distancing.” We asked him what’s been going on with the COVID-19 situation in Germany.
“If this situation lasts much into June I expect people will start ignoring the social distancing provisions.”
Q: Hi Lorne, thanks for speaking with us all the way from Germany! When did you first hear about the novel coronavirus and what did you think of it then?
A: I first heard it in news reports in early January. I thought the Chinese would manage to contain it and it wouldn’t affect my life at all.
How concerned are you and the people of Germany now?
I’ve never been that concerned. Even though I am technically “higher risk,” I am healthy and take precautions not to be unnecessarily exposed. The German people have had a wide range of reactions. Some have been paralyzed by fear, others, especially the young, don’t see the problem, or think it is overblown.
Who were the first few coronavirus-infected people in Germany and where did they contract COVID-19 from?
There were cases in the northern part of the country that were reported in late February (I think), people who had traveled or been exposed to travelers from China. I live in the south, where France, Germany and Switzerland meet. Our first cases crossed the border from France, from Mulhouse. Many people who live there work in Germany, and Mulhouse was where one of the first outbreaks happened in France.
Can you tell us about the biggest COVID-19 clusters in Germany?
I haven’t paid that much attention—unnecessary travel is discouraged, so I haven’t paid much attention to what is happening in other areas. There are daily statistics published, but I haven’t followed them since late February.
Lorne before COVID-19: “Travel can take you to some strange places—like standing in the ruins of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s bedroom in northern Iraq.”
What measures has the government of Germany imposed to keep the COVID-19 outbreak under control thus far, and how have those measures affected you personally?
There have been many shop closures and travel restrictions, and gatherings larger than two unrelated people (with social distancing) are forbidden. I work from home, and my village is so small that 2020 doesn’t seem much different from 2019. The biggest difference was probably not being able to go to church—online worship isn’t the same. And it would be nice to go to a city if I get stir crazy, but there is nothing open there. I now have to wear a mask in the grocery store, but that only became mandatory at the end of April. I had some business and leisure trips canceled, but that wasn’t a government decision.
How did it feel when German Chancellor Angela Merkel ended up in quarantine because of COVID-19?
I thought it was a smart display of leadership. It showed that the government took the issue seriously, and that no-one was above the rules.
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Germany began easing its lockdown measures at the end of April. How has that been going?
Germans are tired of the restrictions, as are people worldwide. The sense I have is that there are still too many rules, that people are impatient for an end to them. If this situation lasts much into June I expect people will start ignoring the social distancing provisions. So far though people have been pretty accepting of the need for restrictions. The economic fallout will be huge though.
Have you and those around you done anything to prepare for the possibility that the novel coronavirus pandemic might get worse?
Germany has probably handled the situation better than any European country. Hospitals have not been overtaxed (which was a fear in March) and the number of new cases is slowing. I don’t expect a worsening. I haven’t even stocked up on toilet paper.
“Toilet paper cakes became popular in Germany in March 2020 when hoarders bought up every roll of the real thing in every store in the country.”
What will you do if you or those who live with you develop symptoms of the virus? What do the authorities of Germany want you to do?
My understanding is people are expected to self-isolate for two weeks if they may have been exposed and see if anything develops. My neighbors did test positive for COVID-19 (and one was hospitalized), so I have done that already. If I contracted the virus, I was asymptomatic. At some point I hope to get tested to find out—international travel might be difficult otherwise.
If you did contract COVID-19, what do you think your odds of surviving it are?
I’m an optimist. I would expect to survive. The death rate in Germany isn’t that much different from the death rate from seasonal influenza, 1.5%.
When do you think this COVID-19 pandemic will end?
I am hoping by July—but that hope is because I have travel planned, and is probably not realistic. The end of 2020 is a more likely date for the lifting of all restrictions, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that was optimistic.
When do you think life in Germany will go back to normal again?
At this point the word “normal” has no meaning. Restrictions are slated to gradually ease, but some may remain in place permanently to create a new “normal.” Will people be willing to attend large gatherings like football games and concerts? Will face masks be required on public transit? At this point no-one knows.
“Easter Sunday 2020–a spontaneous service outside the thousand-year-old church in Sulzburg—with appropriate social distancing.”
What are the best and worst examples of humanity you’ve seen since the COVID-19 crisis broke out?
I’ve seen a lot of people willing to help others. I can’t say I’ve seen bad examples—just a lot of ignorance. Those who were hoarding (toilet paper, flour and pasta seemed to be the biggest items here) were doing so out of fear. I don’t condemn people for fear, even if it is irrational.
Which 3 items or people are most useful for you right now?
The Zoom teleconferencing platform has been very useful. I already used it for business, but there have been new uses. My wife celebrated her birthday on Zoom, with more than 90 friends joining the party. Other than that, I can’t think of anything. My life hasn’t changed that much.
Lastly, what have you learned from this pandemic that you didn’t know before?
How incredibly unprepared governments are for emergencies. I have worked in government and know that emergency planning has been done, but this pandemic seems to have taken everyone by surprise. That needs to be addressed moving forward.
You can find out more about Lorne at his website, lorneanderson.com—“I post most days on whatever strikes my fancy: travel, politics, religion, society, leadership, music and pretty much anything you can think of. Eclectic and interesting is my goal.”—or chat with him 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 Lorne Anderson. Interviewer: Sy Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here. If you found this article useful:
W.F. from Hong Kong moved to London almost a year ago for a job, only to find herself having to deal with the coronavirus pandemic away from her family when it struck. We asked her what that feels like.
“Prince Charles and PM Boris Johnson caught COVID-19, but I don’t think people are in fear.”
Q: How panicked are the people in the UK now?
A: The situation in the UK now (April) is a bit similar to the situation in China in January. The government announced a nationwide lockdown in late March. People stayed at home and piled up food during the lockdown. There were less people taking the train while social distance was practiced. However, less than 5% of the people here are wearing masks. Prince Charles and PM Boris Johnson caught COVID-19, but I don’t think people are in fear.
A lot of immigrants living in the UK went back to their countries after the PM announced the UK’s “herd immunity” strategy. As a foreign work pass holder, do you plan to go back to your country?
I don’t plan to go back at this moment. I rather follow the government guideline: to stay at home (share rent with flatmates) during the lockdown. I am not specifically afraid of the herd immunity thing.
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You seem to be fearless and strong. Have you ever felt weak or afraid during the lockdown?
I really miss my family in Hong Kong and want to have dinner together. The last time I went back to Hong Kong, my sister was not there, so I only saw my parents. Now I really don’t know when all of us can have dinner together.
If you did contract COVID-19, what do you think your odds of surviving it are and why do you think so?
50%. Because I think I have a strong immune system but I had asthma when I was young. So I am categorised into the group with a slightly high risk of contracting the virus I guess.
What will you do if you or those who live with you develop symptoms of the virus? What do the authorities of the UK want you to do?
I will keep social distance with people who develop symptoms of virus and I will provide assistance if I am able to. UK wants people who develop symptoms of virus to stay at home, and they advise that if the symptoms are getting serious, they need to call the NHS [National Health Service].
A street in London during the lockdown.
How did most people in the UK contract COVID-19? Can you tell us about the biggest clusters and how those happened?
I think because of social activity. I don’t know the details of how it happened.
How do you think Boris Johnson and Prince Charles contracted COVID-19?
I have no idea. When you are a human being, you have social activity. It is possible for anyone to get COVID-19.
What will you be doing over the next year?
Hopefully COVID-19 is gone and everything is back to normal next year. This will only happen if people practice social distancing and take it seriously. I am not sure how long will I stay in London, I may or may not extend the work permit.
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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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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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:
