A War Against the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Nobody sees it is coming. Nobody wants to welcome 2020 in this way. Up until February 24th , the Coronavirus has killed 2,663 people in mainland China and has infected more than 80,000 people worldwide, mostly in China.
There is always a travel rush for two weeks before Chinese New Year. People tend to travel back to their hometown or other places to visit, which provided the Coronavirus the best chances to spread from Wuhan city to all over China and even other countries. On January 23rd, in order to prevent the Coronavirus from spreading more, China suspended travel to-and-from Wuhan city. Once China’s national health commission confirmed human-to-human transmission, people’s lives have changed in various ways. As a high population density country, China announced a nationwide home quarantine rule to protect individuals.
I am from a city called Luoyang in the He’nan province, China, which is a six hour drive away from Wuhan. My first-time hearing about the virus was on January 22nd, when my parents talked about how they may not visit my relatives during the new year holidays, which lasts from January 25th until February 8th. I thought they were kidding without realizing how serious the situation was and I told them to relax. A couple of days later, they told me that only one person of each family can go out once a day to get groceries. Soon after, I saw pictures of medical workers wearing protective clothing, people in masks, places shutting down, and many body temperature checking spots.
I began to fear and worry for my family. It was their turn to calm me down. They said they feel safe by having enough supplies and staying at home. Even when they go out to stores or the pharmacy, not a lot of people are out, and everyone wears a medical mask, which decreases the chance of infection. Due to this situation, the highways closed and my parents were instructed that they were not allowed to go back to work until the Chinese government gave the nationwide permission. Every day after I talk to them, I am so grateful that they are safe and sincerely wish the cure for this virus can be developed soon.
Right after the virus break out, China conducted quick and efficient actions, such as sending medical crews to Wuhan, locking down Wuhan, calling on home quarantines for all people, arranging transportations and serving for supplies, and building hospitals. These actions have slowed down the increase of new cases of Coronavirus in the mainland. Internationally, other countries have also made plans to help control the spread of the virus.
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a disaster for all human kind. It brings fear, pain, and death. However, it is not the reason for people to discriminate, be afraid of, or hate others. It is also not the end of the world. There are still 27,471 recovered cases showing that the virus is not undefeatable. Humanity—regardless of country or ethnicity—has to cooperate to win the war against the Coronavirus.