Jane from China emigrated with her family to San Francisco many years ago and got a job in a factory near Chinatown. She shared her thoughts on what it’s been like living in the USA through COVID-19 and the George Floyd protests.
“If they are not afraid of guns, why would they be afraid of COVID-19?”
Q: How was the lockdown in your city like? How did you feel about it?
A: We called it the state of emergency here. Anyway it was similar to a lockdown. Office staff were required to work at home. People were required to keep a social distance if they needed to go to the supermarket or work. However, it was not like the lockdown in Wuhan. I think Wuhan was more strict. I think [the state of emergency in San Francisco] is not strict enough. I heard of a robbery in my area in March.
While San Francisco is suffering from the pandemic, it is also suffering from violent unrest due to the George Floyd protests. Can you tell us what is happening in San Francisco now?
Just like what you can see via the internet, people have gone to rob markets and factories everywhere. I think it is very dangerous now. Especially in the Chinatown area. Starting from Sunday, a curfew was introduced to try to stop the unrest.
Why are people robbing markets and factories?
The factory I work in was robbed. Colleagues say the robbers would sell the goods they robbed. I don’t know why they robbed the market, maybe because they thought it was easy to do so? By the way, people hoarded food and stuff before the state of emergency as well. The difference is now they don’t pay for it.
Aren’t people afraid of catching COVID-19 if so many people gather?
They’re not. If they are not afraid of guns, why would they be afraid of COVID-19? Some of them said COVID-19 is just like the flu.
Will you consider going back to China?
Let me show you this picture [picture below]. Whenever there is a robbery or violent unrest, a yellow spot will appear on the map. There are several yellow spots near me now. Yes, I am quite scared now. But even if I want to go back to China, I can’t. There are no flights now and I have my family here.
A screenshot of an app that lets residents of San Francisco see the criminal activities happening around them.
Jane hopes that life will be able to return to normal next year and that she will be able to go to work as usual and continue to stay with family.
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 Jane. Interviewer: Kauai 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.
Photographs courtesy and copyright of W.F. Interviewer: Kauai 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:
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:
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:
Dinosaur is a Hong Kong citizen with a mum from a small village inside the Hubei province of China. She and her family went back to Hubei before the Chinese Lunar New Year, only to find themselves fleeing 2 days later—just hours before Hubei went into formal lock down because of the COVID-19 outbreak. This is her story.
“We left immediately after receiving the phone call (around 1 a.m.).”
Q: Hi Dinosaur, thanks for coming on to talk about your experience! When did you first hear about the 2019-nCoV / COVID-19 coronavirus and what did you think of it then?
A: I knew there was such a virus in Dec 2019, it was called Wuhan Pneumonia at that time. I didn’t realise it would be that serious in January.
Why and when did you choose to go to Hubei? Which part did you go to?
My mum is from Hubei so we went to Hubei for the Lunar New Year. Since the high-speed train ticket was sold out while the air ticket was too expensive, we decided to drive to Yichang, a city in Hubei province. We left Hong Kong on 22 Jan and arrived Yichang the next day, 23 Jan.
As I remember, the government announced on 22 Jan: “Wuhan (another city in Hubei) would be in lock down from 23 Jan, public transport would be unavailable in Hubei from 25 Jan”. If you guys decided to travel by plane instead of car, you guys might be trapped in Hubei, is that right? Which airport would it be if you chose to take a plane?
If we took the plane or high-speed rail we definitely would be trapped in there. I think I am so lucky this time. If we chose to take a plane, we would probably fly from Shenzhen to Yichang. The public transportation including train and plane were all unavailable in Hubei from 25 Jan.
When did you become more concerned about the virus?
I started to worry before the trip and I tried to ask my family not to go back [to Yichang]. However, they didn’t show much concern. Anyway, I went with them even though I was not willing to go. We arrived at Yichang on 23 Jan and [right away] heard that Wuhan would be lock down. I became more and more nervous on 24 Jan because there was rumour saying the whole Hubei would be in lockdown as well. My family members started to become a bit tense at this point.
The scene Dinosaur saw while fleeing Hubei in the wee hours of the morning.
What made you decide to leave Hubei? How many people in Hubei were infected and dead at that point?
On 24 Jan, there was a rumour saying that the whole of Hubei would be in lock down the next day. However, we stayed on at our relative’s home because we were not sure if the rumour was true. We visited relatives in a village and prepared for the Lunar New Year.
Suddenly, at 1am on 25 Jan, we received an urgent call from one of our relatives working for the government and were told that the rumour was true. He told us to leave as soon as possible at because the lock down would be effective from 6am, 25 Jan!!!
Understanding we were running out of time, my brother, dad and I packed luggage immediately. We were afraid there would be no more chance to leave if we didn’t go now. However, my mum decided to stay because she believed the village we stayed at was not located at the city centre, thus safe.
At that time, there were about several hundred people [reportedly] infected, but my relatives were terrified because they believed the actual number would be much bigger than this. However, they were confident and believed the government would be able to solve the problem. Most of the people in Yichang were feeling doom and gloom with certain level of fear. However, nobody wore masks there.
How difficult was it to cross the border of Hubei? How did you make it? Did you face any trouble at any point for having come from Hubei?
We left immediately after receiving the phone call (around 1 a.m.). It was very tiring to drive past midnight but we were highly cautious. The weather was bad and visibility was quite low. Traffic was not heavy but obviously more than usual after midnight. I looked out of the window and realised there were cars from Wuhan (could be identified by car license plates) occasionally. The air was so cold on a Hubei winter morning, nobody spoke a word because of stress. It was so quiet that I could sense the smell of the dead. After 4 hours drive, we were less stressed because we crossed the Hubei border before the lock down. We were grateful for this but worried about mum on the contrary.
Immediately after entering Hunan, we were stopped by police on a highway, they asked us where we were from, we told them we drove from Hubei to here, but since our car license plate was a Hong Kong one, the police let us go after checking our body temperature. I realised that more and more people wore masks in other provinces. However, only very few people wore a mask when I was in Hubei.
The view from the car window when daylight broke.
I heard from the newspaper that some of the Wuhan people who escaped from home were later found astray outside because no hotel would accept them and the police might stop them. Why was it this easy for you to make it out?
I am not sure how they treated the cars with Wuhan license plates. Since we crossed the border before the Hubei lock down, our car could pass the checking points easily. (Hubei lock down was at 6am, 25 Jan, while Wuhan’s was at 10am, 23 Jan). Some cars next to us with Hubei license plates were stopped by police with more strict checking, but they were released if the police thought they met certain checking requirements.
More from others affected financially by COVID-19 coming 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 Dinosaur. Interviewer: Kauai Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here. If you found this article useful:
George* (*not his real name) works at a hospital in Hong Kong, in a department responsible for handling novel coronavirus infections. Although he was unwilling to reveal his identity online, he did tell us what it was like working in the frontlines of the fight against the coronavirus in Hong Kong.
“I am the only one who was called for this job (management told me others are not willing to do this).”
Q: Thanks for connecting with us all the way from Hong Kong. When did you first hear about the 2019-nCoV novel coronavirus and what did you think of it then?
A: [I first heard of it at the] end of Jan. I was afraid it might increase our workload and risks.
When did you first start working to fight the virus as a frontline staff? What are your responsibilities?
7 Feb. We were responsible for opening a new fever cohort area and isolation ward for nCoV-2019 infected patients. Our job and duties included sourcing materials, checking the materials record and the lab results of suspected cases, and assisting in bed assignment and case transfers—if we found any abnormal result, we would have to coordinate with infections control team.
Did you come across any patient in the fever cohort area who was not honest about their travel history?
Yes, some patients lied to us… we can only check their immigration records and double check with their relatives. We send all doubtful cases to the isolation ward directly.
Can you describe how you deal with confirmed cases? How do hospital staff and the patients feel?
My fever cohort area is mainly [responsible for] screening the suspicious cases. Fortunately, the confirmed cases in our hospital have to go straight to the isolation ward.
When I found a confirmed case last week, I locked the fever cohort area immediately and called the guard to lock the lift. The patient was escorted by staff with protective clothing to the isolation ward directly. Since there was standard protocol in place for dealing with COVID-19 patients, I was quite calm when handling the case. Besides, the patient seemed to be worried but did not look terrified, maybe because the mortality rate is not high.
The staff here are tense but [things are] not as bad as [they were] during 2003 SARS. For SARS, it was totally new and people did not know what to do at all (e.g. what medication would help, how the virus spread and thus how to prevent it). This time, we learnt a lesson from SARS, we also know certain drugs used for AIDS can help a patient to recover.
The only picture George would share with us—a shot of the disposable gowns he wears at work.
Why did you agree to take on this job? What were your first thoughts when you found out that you were going to have to do the frontline job and what was the response of your family when they found out?
I am the only one who was called for this job (management told me others are not willing to do this). My first thought was how to protect myself and my family. They understood my duty and keep asking me to stay safe.
How risky is being a frontline staff? What are the precautions you take to stay safe when doing the job?
The fever cohort area is the highest risk area as there is no negative pressure system in place and has instead an open cubicle design. We are allowed to use 2-4 pieces of N95 [masks] in a whole day and all face shields and visors have to be reused.
What is a negative pressure room?
Negative pressure is an isolation technique used in hospitals to prevent cross-contaminations from room to room.
How many people does the hospital scan in a day?
Around 100.
How has your life changed since you took on the job of being a frontline person fighting the coronavirus?
I have isolated myself in a hotel assigned by the hospital and have minimum social interaction.
Tomorrow, we’ll chat with another person from Hong Kong who escaped Hubei less than 5 hours before the lockdown. 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 George*. Interviewer: Kauai Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here. If you found this article useful:
Mag is a Chinese citizen, living in Zhongshan in the Guangdong province of China, 1088km from Wuhan. We had a chat with her to find out about the coronavirus situation in Zhongshan and was surprised to find her more busy with work than usual.
“Business has even gotten better now because people are more aware of health issues. I am even more busy than usual, working from Monday to Sunday non-stop.”
Q: Hi Mag, where do you live? How long have you been staying home since the novel coronavirus outbreak started?
A: I live in Zhongshan, a city in Guangdong. I can’t remember when we began staying home. It was probably during the Chinese Lunar New Year (25 Jan). We had bought a lot of food for the new year so we just stayed home. However, I went to the supermarket once on 15 Feb because we were running out of food.
How many cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in your city? What measures have been taken in your city to avoid further outbreaks?
There are 62 confirmed cases here. Since 5 Feb, the city implemented a series of measures to restrict the mobility of people. For example, a lot of facilities such as cinemas/karaoke joints/online game centers were forced to close. People are not allow to go out if they do not wear a mask. Besides, only one family member can represent the family to go out to source for food and supplies, once every 2 days. Every time you go out of a certain area, you need to show a pass to the guard and the record would be logged.
The pass required for going in and out of the villages in Zhongshan.
Who are these guards? Who gets selected to be guards?
For villages, normally it would be the committee members in the village who would be assigned the job to control people going in and out of the area. For small communities in the city, the job would be carried out by volunteers. The main roads or highways are guarded by the police.
Can you briefly describe how it was like the last time you went to a supermarket?
It was quite crowded at the supermarket. Everyone wore a mask. The most popular thing was rice. Everyone bought at least two bags of rice and one full cart of other stuff.
The back of the pass required for going in and out of the villages in Zhongshan. Exit records will be logged at the back of the pass.
What do you do at home these days?
Since I work for an insurance company, I can work at home with the computer. Business has even gotten better now because people are more aware of health issues. I am even more busy than usual, working from Monday to Sunday non-stop.
When will you physically return to work?
There is no announcement from my company yet. Hopefully we can make it in March.
Tomorrow, we’ll chat with an expat in another part of China’s Guangdong province to find out how similar his situation might be over there. Follow the latest in our COVID-19 Diaries series here.
If you’re in China right now or have been affected by the novel coronavirus and would like to share information about the situation where you’re at, do get in touch with us here.
Photographs courtesy and copyright of Mag. Interviewer: Kauai Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here. If you found this article useful:
