BY JP RUGABA
We all entered the New Year, with hopes and aspirations and with exams on the horizon, surely passing them was on the to do list. But as we celebrating the start of the winter holiday, 468 km away in Wuhan, a deadly virus was emerging. Life stayed as usual up to until 20th January, when at least 17 deaths were recorded and the news had really started to get to our attention.
6 days later, with the death toll at 80, fellow international students started to leave for home. My university, Zhengzhou University through its school of international education started to send out words of caution to the students on the various Wechat platforms, cautioning students on issues regarding their travel in and out of the city, measures of control and the official stance on the matter.
By this time, the outbreak was global news and all this backed up by the fact that confirmed cases outside Chinese borders were starting to emerge. My parents, friends and relatives were extremely worried and so was everyone who watched this news with keen focus. This was a virus that had no cure, its source clearly unknown and was highly contagious with the available stats showing its more infectious in terms of number of confirmed cases (75000 *at present) than SARS and MERS combined.
By this time, personally my major news about the virus came from the western media mainly through their various twitter platforms as I must admit I wasn’t a keen follower of the Chinese mainstream media with only the exception being CGTN. But on the 29th of January my source of information about the virus changed, when I was invited to join a group of expats providing detailed analysis of the situation on ground through the jobtube daily or jobetube.cn group.
There were daily up to date stats about the virus including the number of confirmed cases, deaths and recoveries and also a link that would enable a user locate confirmed cases near the neighbourhood. The source of information for this platform were official Chinese government communication and updates through the Chinese national health communication and also the from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
I soon started to loathe the various misinformation that was starting to spread among the western media and other sources outside China at times backed by the geo-political tensions between China and other states. Just like it’s the norm in the Chinese new year festivities, most shops and public centers were closed except for the quite big malls. But with the virus rapidly spreading, banks closed with limited or no cash at the ATMs, more shops closed with online shopping temporarily suspended and the didi taxi service wasn’t also spared. Residential areas including where I stay restricted the number of hours were allowed to leave for the outside to about 5 hours daily. The university closed 2 of the 4 gates with hours of entry and exit.
Limited to 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening. All this backed up, by the temperature checks at the entry points by the officials. With more and more people rushing to the similar mall for necessities, the school improvised and started offering students free masks and food supplies such as vegetables, milk, water etc. With the delay of the spring semester now but surely confirmed, the school organised online classes through the various online teaching platforms like Tencent meeting, superstar app and rain classroom, an online educational app created by the students of the prestigious Tsinghua University.
The lockdown was sickening, limited fresh air, a lack of exercise and of course the inadequacy of the warmth of the sun that would have provided a little warmth as this was the height of winter. With many of my fellow students heading home, I decided to stay as I had confidence in the Chinese system and also fear of spread of transmission back home in case I acquired the virus through transit.
The school set up an international student’s emergency team from the already existing international students union that would regularly spray the students’ hostels and help the distribution of food and masks to the students. Currently, the situation isn’t good especially the fact that most people are confined indoors and with the death rate now at more than 2000 nationwide about 3000 medical workers infected and very few flights being operational.
But with the number of confirmed cases outside Hubei province decreasing, a little sense of ease is returning to my city. With the re-opening of some shops, online shopping and transportation starting to resume and the introduction of online classes, a slight sense of normality is starting to kick in.
However the situation for my brothers and sisters in Wuhan, isn’t very pleasant. With their city under lockdown and the virus being at their doorstep, my hopes and prayers are with them. They are at the frontline of the virus outbreak just like the Chinese people of Wuhan city. I hope that monetary assistance government of Uganda promised is of some comfort to them during this hard period. Though I urge more assistance to them. The covid 19 virus has affected each and every person in China and I stand with my Chinese friends that this ordeal finally comes to an end.
The Writer is a Ugandan student in China.
