24 hours.
This was when a situation, without notice, became dire, and life was uprooted in a sliver of time. Reminiscent of a scene from bygone pandemic films; a city of nearly 8 million inhabitants went into full quarantine. Face masks were no longer donned to just block the pollution, but to quell the surge of infected cases. Temperature checkpoints surfaced in nearly every congested area. Domestic travel slowed to a grinding halt.
An Anecdotal Pandemic
It was as if my life was catapulted at maximum velocity into the film 28 Days Later. A heavy sense of dread loomed over my consciousness as China began implementing stringent regulations due to a microscopic enemy many knew little about. Surreal, the only word one could muster up in one of the worst pandemics the world has faced since the Spanish Flu of 1918.
A stark contrast from one day to the next. The packed city of center of Xinjiekou became a ghost town within days. Hunched in my apartment, the John Hopkins Coronavirus map became my ally. I scoffed at the outbreak in its initial days thinking it would be no worse than other pandemics in recent memory. Afterall, not much time had passed since the Ebola virus made headlines. As the days dwindled on, the numbers of infected grew exponentially, and every city began reporting its own cases in droves. Due to Nanjing’s proximity to Wuhan, it did not take long for cases to arise.
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During this time, I even made the bold journey to visit the nearby city of Ma’anshan, and this is when the situation was really put into perspective. Hazmat units greeted me at Nanjing South Railway Station, and so was the case when I arrived at the neighboring city. Standing in a line with dozens of people to get our temperature checked had become the new way of life.
The outright irony of it all was that this occurred during the largest mass migration of people globally, Chinese New Year. Cities were already somewhat empty due to the outpour of people, but it became much bleaker in the following days and weeks. Businesses were effectively closed, and ESL schools required to now teach online. Each day, the number of confirmed cases grew larger and other nations began reporting their own cases.
To lay low during this unprecedented situation, I fled to the UK for a short while, and saw no impacts of the COVID scourge just yet. This was well before the Coronavirus got its official name. News had reached the west, but there were no consequences or ramifications in place just yet. It appeared China had been the only place taking this matter seriously, and for that, I commend their urgency. Several months into the ordeal, and China has taken a peculiar turn for the better.
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Despite being ground zero, it now seems to be a bastion of hope for a world on fire. And this is where humanity should concentrate its efforts. Replicating the success made in China and even smaller nations like South Korea can possibly flatten the curve globally.
An Unlikely Scenario
Lockdown of Wuhan, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, was retroactive on January 23rd, however, the ensuing weeks morphed from an epidemic in China to a pandemic impacting nearly every sovereign nation. As it continues to sweep across the globe, normalcy has been reduced and disrupted on a scale not previously seen in our modern age. Economies have seemingly been put on hold, health care systems are overloaded, nations have closed their borders, and businesses have shut down for weeks on end. Many in the western world are now wondering if their lives will return to what they once were, and, perhaps, the way forward can be found by examining China’s response.
In a matter of weeks, the People’s Republic of China released a full genetic sequence of the virus to the world, isolated Wuhan, constructed a dedicated hospital in 10 days, and began implementing widespread restrictions to combat and halt the spread of COVID-19. For expatriates and citizens living within the confines of China, these effects were felt immediately, and a unified spirit could be felt throughout.
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In a relatively short period of time (considering the scope of the pandemic), the country continues to make significant strides to return to a sense of normal. However, that normal still involves maintaining precautions to protect public health while life has endured in Nanjing. Once dimly lit alleys are illuminated again as shops continue to open. Malls are beginning to bustle, restaurants are serving fresh meals, and recreational activities have been revived. Furthermore, a 76-day lockdown has liberated the city of Wuhan and its denizens of the ongoing corona scourge. New cases are scarce, and life has bounced back. It will take some time for the country to return to what once was, but significant progress is made daily to insure that.
Let Hope Prosper
Despite the ramifications implemented worldwide, China’s prudence is a beacon of hope that can ripple through every corner. Life came to a standstill but was resuscitated through its adherence to combat the spread, and the rest of the world will follow suit. Such a calamity could not have been foreseen, but the endurance of China should inspire us all to weather this storm. Remain in solidarity and glean on the success seen elsewhere. Emulate China. That is the gold standard that all people should follow during these trying times.
If China can do it, then so can the world as we rally in support for our international medical professionals, adhere to social distancing, and continue to remain optimistic about the same fruitful outcome. Shops and restaurants will reopen for business, places of worship will welcome their followers, and life will find a way to pursue on.
Our light through this time is brighter than ever, but it is up to the citizens of every nation to indemnify that. If we unify as a people, then hope will come with every day that passes. Numbers of newly infected will decline, recovered cases will spike, and the world will vivify. It can be astonishing what the human spirit can achieve with hope.
