COVID-19 Diaries: The Situation In Shanghai, 147 Days In

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.

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.

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.

LUCK-IT will earn a tiny commission when you purchase this product.

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.

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 Greg. Interviewer: Sy
Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here.
If you found this article useful: