Personal Experience With Covid 

During the times of covid, 2020-2022, I was in America. While in quarantine, my social interactions had deteriorated into just me and my family in a NYC apartment. During that time, I was graduating 8th grade, and starting high school, and had my graduation during zoom. Also, I couldn’t play basketball, which was one of my favorite pastimes and hobbies. All in all, I had a rough time in covid, not being able to talk with my friends, can’t go outside and play ball, and was limited to the boredom of scrolling on TikTok. 

__________________________________________________________________________

The Impact of Medical Workers (‘Tragic Battle’: On the Front Lines of China’s Covid Crisis)

Picture of Covid patients lying on hospital beds set up in the lobby of a overcrowd hospital in Chongqin

Around December of 2022, China struggles to keep up with covid 19 cases as their “front lines”, doctors and other medical staff are feeling overwhelmed. Cities across China, like Beijing and Shanghai face mass influx of covid 19 patients, and emergency medical departments are becoming overcrowded. Hospitals are becoming so overcrowded with no rooms, that some patients are expected to occupy hallway spaces because of the lack of rooms. Additionally, patients are not the only ones suffering, as the medical staff are also suffering. The increase of covid cases has exposed medical workers into increased work loads, and long hours. However, because medical staff are surrounded by covid 19 patients, they also fell ill to covid 19. This worsened the already understaffed personnel, making the already overwhelmed staff faced even more pressure and stress. In the article, it is revealed that, “so many have tested positive for the virus in some hospitals that the remaining few say they are forced to do the jobs of five or more co-workers.” This quote exposes the horrible working conditions medical personnel are subjected to, which if not fixed, can lead to the total breakdown of the medical department. Moreover, medical students also felt stressed and underappreciated. Despite working similar hours and similar workloads, medical students and interns are among the lowest paid medical personnel, and can’t fly home to see their family. However, there are bigger consequences, the death of a 23 year old medical student. The death of the medical students has led to protest and demonstration, further worsening the staff crisis. Lastly, to ease the stress and burden, China and its government has set up “fever clinics” which are separated sections of a hospital that is designed to treat any one with a fever, regardless if you have covid 19 or not. This approach increases the efficiency in which fever patients are treated. Also the separated sections limit the spread of the virus, making it safer for everyone involved.

———————————————————————————————-

Situations After Zero Covid Policy Has Been Lifted(Covid Is Spreading Rapidly in China, New Signs Suggest)

In China, December 2022, a massive surge of covid 19 cases has occurred after the surprising and abrupt end of its strict “zero-COVID” policy. Because of the quarantine from this policy it has left the Chinese population with little to no natural immunity. Because of the sudden lift of the policy, which included lockdown, mass testing, and travel restrictions, this had led to widespread outbreaks, and also overwhelming hospitals, pharmacies, and crematoriums.

Moreover, cities including those of Zhejiang and others have reported a scary one million new infection cases daily, and if not treated can reach up to double soon. Additionally, major metropolitan areas like Qingdao Dongguan, and the Shaanxi Province, hospitals and other medical departments are overcrowded, with  the number of COVID-related cases also spiking. This Covid crisis is also further worsened with the overdependence on less effective domestic vaccines, and low vaccine rate in elderly.

However, despite the terrifying situation, China’s National Health Commission has decided to discontinue publishing their daily COVID-19 data. The pause has sparked mass skepticism about the true scale of the outbreak. Also, Chinese officials reported a low death toll, 7 deaths, because of China’s new and narrow definition, in which they only included the death of respiratory failure, which largely underrepresented the actual number. According to Covid Is Spreading Rapidly in China, New Signs Suggest, it states, “Even Hu Xijin, the former editor of the Communist Party paper Global Times, criticized the official numbers. In a WeChat blog posted on Saturday, he commended the bold reporting from Qingdao, contrasting it with official case counts that ‘deviated widely from the experiences of the public.’” This quote is especially telling in which it suggests that even if the government try to under-report, the Chinese population still feels the impact, examples like medicine and mask shortage, and overcrowded hospitals.

———————————————————————————————-

Protest of The Zero Covid Policy(A Protest? A Vigil? In Beijing, Anxious Crowds Are Unsure How Far to Go.)

protests are happening quietly all over the night in Beijing along the Liangma River. A small group of activists are gathering together, mourning over the tragic incident of a fire in Urumqi, western China. This gathering would be the starting point into what will become a large demonstration against China’s strict zero-Covid policies, which was very harshly imposed with strict near-daily testing, and lockdowns for 3 years. around cities like Shanghai, Chengdu, and Wuhan, crowds are swelling into hundreds of participants, all demanding freedom.  

The crowd’s mood was initially nervous, however, that quickly shifted between grief, defiance, and dark humor. Also protesters were using blank white papers, holding them up, and presenting them as a symbol against censorship. Lawenforcers, while being on the scene, mostly stayed away and kept their distance from the protester, while some were even filming the event without immediate actions to crack them down, which added to the unreal atmosphere of the night. However, there is tension inside the protest over how far the protest should push. Some participants are more focused on Covid policies rather than broader political demands.

At the end, the protest had mostly disbanded and disappeared by early this morning, however, most were left wondering the result of their demonstration, whether anything was going to change. Unfortunately, later that day they got their answer, there was an increase in surveillance, along with phone calls by police to suspected participants, and other police activity. According to the text it says, “But others worried that police officers had already infiltrated the group; some said that they had received phone calls from the local police asking where they had been the night before. By early evening, police cars lined the area where people had chosen to gather that evening. Attendees were sparse.” This action is an example of how the government had undermined the true goal of this demonstration, which is freedom, and it was replaced with more control. 

———————————————————————————————– 

Background Information of Interviewee

The person I’ll be interviewing is named Xiao. During the time of covid, he would have been around 14 years old, and living in Fuzhou. My friend Xiao and I met him in highschool. I believe he is an observant person that knows his surroundings, and also one of the kindest people I know. We also commonly have deep emotional conversations, he likes to interact with others, and cares deeply about his family.

 

———————————————————————————————–  

Interview

Me:Can you describe what life was like in China when the pandemic first started?

Interviewee:It was early 2020, everything was very strange. I’ve heard news that there was a virus, but I didn’t know how serious it was. And then suddenly it was lock down. 

Me:How did your daily routine change during the lockdowns?

Interviewee:I didn’t have to go to school for a long time. I stayed home the whole time, and had a lot of interactions with my family. 

Me:How did the government handle the initial outbreak in your area?

Interviewee: In my area, everything was shut down, medical supplies were running very low, doctors were working overtime, everything was under a lot of pressure. It was scary. 

Me: What was the most difficult part of the experience for you personally?

Interviewee: I don’t know, I would say the uncertainty. I have grandparents that I worry about consistently, and also being locked in the house is just so draining. 

Me:How did people in your community react to the government’s policies?

Interviewee:A lot of us were annoyed, being locked in can take a toll on you. Also the travel restriction can be hard because I have families cities aways that I can’t visit which I worry about constantly. However everyone followed the rules because we knew the risk. 

Me:What do you wish had been handled differently?

Interviewee:Maybe more transparency in the very early days. Some information wasn’t shared fast enough, and that caused confusion and fear. Also, later on, the long-term restrictions and sudden lockdowns in some areas were really hard on people’s lives and mental health.

Me:What do you think China did well in responding to the pandemic?

Interviewee:I think they did well, everyone that I know survived, the government was clear in what they wanted us to do, they provided resources, and worked very fast for days and nights nonstop. 

Me:Have you experienced any shortage of supplies or food? 

Interviewee: I have heard news about it, however my parents did more of the shopping so I didn’t keep up with it. However, I was never hungry in the house. 

Me:How did you spend your time during quarantine?

Interviewee: I’ve used the free time doing many things. I learned the guitar, and I learned how to cook. However I spent most of my time in bed, watching my phone.

Me:How did you manage your mental health during that time?

Interviewee:Honestly, I didn’t manage it too well, there is a lasting damage of talking to the same people for months. However, one thing that kept me sane is calling with my friends, or trying the new hobby I tried.

Me:What role did technology play during the pandemic in China?

Interviewee: A huge role. My phone is my access to the outside world, I could talk with my friends, and or scroll all day on it. Also that’s how I also got my news. 

Me:Did you or anyone you know get infected?

Interviewee: Thankfully, no one that I know got seriously hurt from the virus, nor had some lasting effects. However, yes, I did know my cousin from my dad’s side caught the virus. 

Me:Did you see any acts of kindness that really stood out?

Interviewee:Yes, A lot. I know this barkery owner from down my street would give free bread or cake to anyone that is working as a delivery driver, or nurses.

Me:Were people fined or punished for breaking quarantine rules?

Interviewee: I didn’t know any. The street was almost always empty, and everybody I know followed the rules. But there are probably some fines or punishments that were given out.

Me:Did you notice any changes in pollution or the environment during lockdown?

Interviewee: I’ve heard news that our air was a lot cleaner. But from what I can see, the street was definitely cleaner. There are a lot of leaves around, but no trash. 

Me:What was it like going back to school or work after the lockdowns?

Interviewee: It was strange, very strange. However, I was very excited, I was glad things were getting back to normal. However, it was harder for me to make new friends because of my lack of new relationships.

Me:How did delivery services and online shopping play a role during lockdowns?

Interviewee: Although I didn’t do any of the shopping, I know that’s how we got our supplies and food. They played a really important role in the lock down. I respect that the delivery driver would risk themself so we can get our groceries.

Me:If you had to describe the entire experience in one word, what would it be and why?

Interviewee: “eye-opening” Is crazy how much things can change, and how much life can be impacted. Make me see the real value of enjoying the moment because you never know what’s going to happen in the future.