While I could have returned home with my mother I chosen to stay. Why? I am confident that China will be able to control the outbreak.

“我本來(lái)可以跟我的媽媽一起回國(guó)，但我選擇留下。為什么呢？因?yàn)槲覉?jiān)信，中國(guó)能夠控制住這場(chǎng)疫情?！?/p>

                                                                   Frances Mcmanus

我們與你同行

談及如何看待中國(guó)為了防控疫情所采取的種種舉措，F(xiàn)rances認(rèn)為中國(guó)政府此次系有備而來(lái)，而中國(guó)人民面對(duì)此次疫情也空前團(tuán)結(jié)一致。她所看到的，都是疫情之下中國(guó)人民的堅(jiān)韌不拔和勇往直前。

學(xué)校每天的一個(gè)慰問(wèn)短信，一個(gè)關(guān)懷電話，讓她在這樣的環(huán)境下一點(diǎn)都不慌張，更加堅(jiān)定了她認(rèn)為中國(guó)可以打贏這場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)役必勝的信念。

                     來(lái)自不同國(guó)度的外籍教師

                     為武漢加油！為中國(guó)加油！

Hi, my name is Frances McManus and I live in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, in the People’s Republic of China. I came here last August as an English Language Assistant and had no idea that in a few short months I would be living in the shadow of a deadly virus.

The virus originated in Wuhan, Hubei Province. That’s about 800km west of where I am. To date the known infections of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has hit 40,651*, and deaths have reached 910*. That means that this virus has killed more people than the deadly SARS outbreak of 2002, but has a lower death-rate. Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath, and in serious cases pneumonia.

The main symptom to look out for is fever. As my mother and I discovered on her recent trip to visit me, China is well prepared to find and isolate suspected cases of Coronavirus. Soon after her arrival in China we faced temperature checks on arrival at railway stations. We even came upon a full-body infrared camera, manned by several people in full protective gear.

Not only are railway stations checking travellers, but even going to Starbucks in Suzhou we met a member of staff at the door who read our temperatures before allowing us entry. Since then Starbucks has gone so far as to close some 2000 stores in China due to the outbreak.

At the moment living here is like living in a ghost-town. The usually busy streets are quiet, the once lively restaurants and shops are mostly closed. Everyone you meet is wearing a face-mask. We are advised to avoid going outside except when necessary, to avoid meeting in groups and to avoid taking public transport. While waiting for a train my mother and I watched a TV anchor demonstrating the correct way to put on a face-mask and wash your hands.

All transport in and out of Wuhan and other cities in Hubei has been closed off. Out of fear of becoming stranded if more transport was cancelled we decided not to take our trips to Hangzhou, Nanjing and Chengdu. Shortly thereafter KLM announced (like other airlines) that they would be suspending flights to and from China from February 3rd, so my mother and I quickly arranged for her flight to be rebooked and she returned home. Healthy and safe.

Somewhat worryingly she reports that she was not temperature checked when arriving in Paris or Dublin, she was simply given a pamphlet about the virus. Are other countries taking the threat of Coronavirus seriously?

While I could have returned home with my mother I chose to stay. Why? I am confident that China will be able to control the outbreak. I feel safe staying in my apartment, wearing a mask when I go to the shop, and having my temperature checked each time I reenter our housing complex. Meanwhile a member of staff of my school messages me each day to get an update on my symptoms (or lack thereof). If I develop a fever I’ll be sent for medical attention. If I become infected with the virus I am healthy enough that my immune system should be able to fight it off.    

While the numbers seem daunting it’s important to remember the sheer size of China; a country of 1.39 billion people. The virus outbreak occurred at a vulnerable time in China when most people were travelling for the lunar new year; creating the ideal environment for its spread, but China is well equipped to deal with the situation, and I’m sure they’ll receive plenty of support from other countries.

新型冠狀病毒下的生活：來(lái)自一位在中國(guó)任教的外籍老師