Editor's note: Anila P Ajayan from Pandalam in Kerala is a post-doctoral research student at the Institute of Hydrobiology in Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak. Despite the virus threat, she decided to stay put and spend 60 days at the students' apartment when the city went under lockdown. Here, she narrates her lockdown days.
It was in January first week that my friend, Zhang Lu, a virology researcher at Wuhan University, informed me about the novel Corona Virus (nCoV-19). At that time, I never thought that the virus would become a pandemic. However, from that day, I started wearing surgical masks while going outside the Institute of Hydrobiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where I am doing post-doctoral research.
As days passed, the death rate was increasing. Then came the Chinese spring holidays and all my Chinese colleagues returned to their home provinces. Before heading home, they gave me gifts, including chocolates, fruits and warm hugs. Interestingly, two of them – Dr Gafoei Song and Miss Xiao Wei - gave me surgical masks and activated carbon masks and reminded me to wear them while going out.
My supervising teacher Prof. Bi Yonghong advised me to avoid travelling too far. He also insisted to inform him about my activities. For the record, I stayed put at the hostel as I did not have any plans to go to Kerala for vacation.
On January 21, my Pakistani friend Noor-ul-Huda and I ventured out to buy some vegetables. For, my Chinese friends had warned me that the shops would be closed for two or three days during the Chinese New Year. I also wanted to give Noor-ul-Huda a farewell dinner because she was planning to go back home after completing her PhD. The outing, however, gave me an idea about the threat posed by coronavirus. I could not see even a single person on the street without a mask. However, roads were crowded and people were getting ready to celebrate the new year. When we reached the institute, we got earful from our counterparts, who sarcastically called us 'brave ladies' for going out when the virus threat loomed large.
My decision to stay put
On January 23, at 9.15 am, a service message on my China Mobile informed me about the suspension of public transport services in Wuhan from 10 am that day. "No person would be allowed to leave the city after that," read the message. In hindsight, I think it was the best decision taken by the Chinese government to prevent virus spread.
The scenario turned worse by the day. Number of deaths kept on increasing. At that time I came to know that the Indian government was planning to send flights to evacuate Indians from Wuhan. Within a short period of time, the embassy officials had collected details of all Indians. But I decided to stay put as I was well aware of the risks of travelling home at this time. Prof. Bi also advised me to stay back at the campus and assured me of my safety.
Still, many questions lingered on my mind. What would happen if the situation got out of control? What would happen if I got infected? The questions apart, I knew that I would be quarantined on my arrival in India.
Even if my coronavirus test results returned negative, I would face huge difficulty in convincing my neighbours, friends and relatives that I do not carry the virus. Further, it would result in the isolation of my family. I might not be able to spend time with my family or visit my teachers and friends and enjoy my vacation happily or peacefully. I thought it may give unnecessary panic attacks to people who travelled with me and at the places I visited. People would consider me as a virus-carrier from Wuhan, the epicentre of coronavirus outbreak. So I made up my mind not to travel and stay put.
It was not an easy decision for a homesick person. It was followed by a lot of stressful days, but I never regretted my decision.
From Kerala to Wuhan
I joined the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in September 2019.
Wuhan, the sprawling capital of central China’s Hubei province, has a population of around 11 million people. Despite being the commercial hub, the city is calm and quiet and has plenty of lakes and parks, including the picturesque Donghu Lake (East Lake). IHB is in front of southern side of Donghu Lake. Within a short period of time, I made a lot of friends. People in the shops, especially the elderly, used to greet everyone with warm smiles. I remember an old man in the fruit shop near IHB, who would greet me 'ni'hao' (hello) whenever I passed in front of his shop.
Lockdown days
Prof Bi advised me that I could stay in my apartment and go to my office. He was kind enough to check my health status and my food resources everyday. The government had asked all students and staff to stay put in their homes till further notice. I think the government must be praised for its management skills and effective planning before announcing the lockdown. I had stored provisions for just one week.
Luckily, I got a message that the Zhongbai supermarket near my apartment and four other supermarkets would remain open from 10 am to 5 pm every day during the lockdown period. But shoppers were subjected to thermal screening before entering the shops. Because of my selective food consumption, I was not aware of the different types of Chinese vegetables. But I must confess that corona outbreak helped me improve my knowledge and try different Indo-Chinese cuisines (Indian dishes with Chinese vegetables). These culinary expeditions was a great stress buster for me.
Wuhan volunteers
Despite the lockdown, many Wuhan residents volunteered to supply vegetables, essential things and masks at IHB. They were willing to help others any time. The government communicated with the residents regularly, updated them about the virus outbreak status and provided essential tips to them.
When the virus threat became severe, the apartment management team started supplying vegetables and essential items. We just had to send the list to the staff and it would be delivered the same day. During those days, UCAS and IHB sent us facial masks, sanitizers, gloves and provisions. I will never forget the care given by them.
A few days later, I caught a mild cold. It did not bother me at all. I was pretty sure that I got it because of the cold weather. The outside temperature was between five and nine degree Celsius, and my air conditioner was not working properly. I never experienced a temperature fall below 19 degree Celsius in Kerala.
I brought the issue of air conditioner malfunctioning to Yang Qian, who is the person in charge of PhD students at IHB. Technicians came the very next day morning and brought the AC back to life. I am so grateful to the technicians who performed their duty in the time of corona outbreak.
Avoiding fake news
I diligently avoided fake news during lockdown. Some of my friends shared news and advisories on how to stay away from the virus. Most of them were not scientifically proven. So I just ignored them. I knew that the best way to prevent nCoV-2019 infection was to maintain personal hygiene. I also avoided crowded or public places during lockdown. I wore a mask whenever I stepped out of my room. I concentrated on self-care, did exercises, cared about personal hygiene and, most importantly, avoided fake news. I read a lot and enriched my awareness about the virus. I’m glad that I could educate a few school students in Kerala about how to prevent this virus infection and protect themselves, through video call.
Disturbing sounds of ambulances
I consider myself as a mentally strong person. But as lockdown progressed, loneliness started to bother me. For, all the other foreign students were staying in the first floor. Moreover, the loud sound of ambulances disturbed me all the day. I even felt that I took a wrong decision to stay back in Wuhan. But technology came to my rescue as it helped me contact my dear and near ones back in India.
Encouraging words
All these days, my friends called and texted me to share positive things and appreciate my decision to stay back. My teachers and professors at universities in Kerala too contacted me. I must thank Prof. Peethambaran for contacting me at least once a week, enquiring about my health and giving me the much-needed mental support. Words were not enough to thank those who supported me at this time, including Dr. Jan W Rijstenbil from Netherlands and Prof. Luigi Nasseli Flores from Italy.
I keep regular contact with Prof. Luigi, who is a well-known scientist of freshwater ecology. I received his email late in January, inquiring whether I was still in Wuhan. His mail relieved me of a lot of stress. Prof. Shin-ichi- Nakano from Japan sent his good wishes to me and Muralee Thummarukudy, who is the Chief of UN Disaster Risk Reduction Management, gave me tips to handle the situation. Certainly, those positive words motivated me and helped stay strong.
No corona infection at IHB
Coronavirus did not infect the student or staff at IHB until this day, thanks to the cleaning staff who performed their duties diligently. They cleaned the institute buildings and apartment two times a day. What surprised me was they worked even during the heavy snowfall. They cleaned elevators with disinfectants and sanitizers and placed tissue rolls on every corner and inside the elevators.
One person whom I should mention here is Wuchuiping, the woman security staff at the IHB. She came to our institute every day even during the virus outbreak. She served us with her warm smile and waved at us to say hello. She doesn’t speak English but it was her way to show love and respect to others.
Noor gets an extended stay
When the virus outbreak began, number of foreign students was 15. But as days passed, the number was reduced to eight as others went back home. We did not meet each other as we were on quarantine, but we shared our feelings over phone. What made me happy was the virus outbreak helped my Pakistan friend Noor-ul-Huda to extend her stay in China.
Her visa was expiring in January and she was about to fly back home. But Chinese government told her that she could stay in the country without paying fine till the epidemic got under control. It was a big relief for me as she was ready to help me at any time.
Following my heart
The lockdown taught me how to follow my heart, concentrate on self-care, understand the joy of helping and supporting each other and, most importantly, get inspiration from nature. I resumed bird watching, which was my hobby for a long time. Nature teaches us to stay positive, keep calm and believe that everything is going to be fine in the coming days. Being a science student, I believe in science and I am pretty sure that China has the technology and capability to handle well this situation.
Wuhan springs to life
After 60 days of self quarantine, I could see Wuhan springing back to life as people began leaving hospitals with broad smiles. Wuhan is strong and I am sure that everything would be fine in the coming days. People understood that quarantine/ social-distancing was not a punishment, and it was the best practice to stop the virus infection. I could witness the good and worst times of Wuhan in a short span of time.
I felt sad when I heard that the situation in India was becoming grave. So I have a request to my fellow Indians. The epidemic-turned-pandemic may create distance between people, but it never hinders love. Working people can spend time effectively with their family and kids. You can read books since many authors have started uploading free e-books in their blogs. You can engage in creative activities, restart hobbies, call long-forgotten friends and renew friendships. You should avoid going outside unnecessarily. If the travel is unavoidable, you must wear masks (it should be disposed properly after use).
Well, for Wuhan people, it’s the story of togetherness; fighting against the scary virus just like we Keralites had fought the deadly Nipah virus a few years ago. The government is with us and the health officials are with us. We have the best medical colleges and treatment facilities. Kerala is always a role model for other countries. What we need to concentrate is on personal hygiene. And I am sure that together we can defeat coronavirus, like we had defeated Nipah.
