So the most recent news is that the World Health Organization has issued notice that the Coronavirus outbreak in China now meets the criteria to be a public health emergency.
Why this decision?
There were a few reasons listed on the website, among them the fact that human-to-human transmission has occurred both inside and outside of China, that the virus has been detected in several countries outside of China, and, probably most notably, that the number of cases has significantly increased in the last week (which is the same time that Chinese families had gathered together for Spring Festival celebrations). The number of cases went from 2700 on Wednesday or Thursday to just under 10,000 by Friday morning and of those 213 people have died but 187 have recovered.
This announcement is no doubt what tipped several airlines around the world to cancel direct flights to and from China until the end of February, including Air Canada. I honestly can’t imagine why Air Canada would do that other than because everyone else is doing it. Air Canada flies from Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto to Beijing and Shanghai which, in my estimation is one daily flight from each city times two cities plus returns trips is only about twelve flights total with about 200 people on board. Twenty-four hundred people as far as I can tell. I don’t know if Canada would be a major infection hub, given that only three people have been detected to have the virus so far. But this action points to a tacit build up of anxiety over the outbreak in places other than in China.
However, it’s important to note that, although other airlines are cancelling direct flights to and from Mainland China (most flights to Hong Kong and Taiwan are still operating), that Chinese carriers are still flying. That doesn’t mean that Chinese people can just go fly wherever they want, though, because some countries are now blocking and refusing visas to Chinese citizens.
So, if there isn’t an overt sense of panic then at least a very quiet type of panic is building up in “the people”. And it’s not altogether rational since the seasonal flu in any given years generally causes more deaths.
The problem is that this is the second virus to hit China, the first being the SARS outbreak during which the country (and head of government) tried a different approach to contain the issue: not talk about it. But the times and technology have changed dramatically since then, not just in terms of health, but especially in terms of the spread of information (I’m looking at you, Twitter and the toxicity that has plagued that platform). Further, China sees itself in a very different light since that SARS outbreak and so, although there is still cause for concern as any outbreak would cause, the issue is much more publicly open and being dealt with.
I wrote before that masks have become mandatory in public places, so too have temperature checker-thingies and most places have hand sanitizer available. To be a touch more safe, I’ve started carrying my own. Public notices have been posted around the neighbourhood urging people to stay away from crowds, to cover up when sneezing or coughing, and, should they feel any symptoms of the flu (fever, chest tightness), they should immediately go to the hospital. If they can’t go to the hospital, they should call a telephone hotline and they can be picked up.
So, am I worried yet?
No. My own apartment building smells more like chlorine bleach now as it seems that one of the new directives is mop the floors every day. So that’s keeping at least a few people busy.
Further, there has been a marked change in the way people are conducting themselves in public. Not only are they wearing masks (which was pretty common prior to this occasion) but they are using hand sanitizer, washing their hands, and not just letting their sneezes rip all over the places. And although I’d like to say they’ve stopped picking their noses so obviously (who doesn’t from time to time?), but I’ve seen at least one subway guard person pull down his mask and not only pick his nose but his eyes as well. It was as if he thought it didn’t matter. Who knows, maybe he washed his hands first?
One other notable change is that delivery people aren’t allowed on apartment compounds any more. I had just ordered a few things and then received a call when they arrived. I thought the guy would come up as they usually do but it seems that packages, food, etc. all have to be picked up by ourselves rather than delivered to our door.
I’ve also seen a few apartment compounds post sanitation squads at their gates. These folks have thermometers and hand sanitizer available and, more colourfully, are dressed in all blue.
Have my plans changed at all?
Not yet. Given that some airlines are cancelling flights to and from Mainland China, Chinese airlines are still flying and other countries have not completely cut off Chinese people from entering. If that holds true, then we’ll still be likely to go to Japan either mid-February or still at the end. If I can’t extend my trip in February, I’ll probably extend it into March instead.
Sadly, with the end of Spring Festival also means an end to some of the quiet and solitude I was enjoying in Beijing. I hear more people walking on my floor and, even worse, I hear the elevator. Since I live right beside the elevator I hear it all the time, whether it’s morning, noon or night. And with more people moving around, its belts are clanking around even more now that people have nowhere to go.
I’ve received several messages from people back in Canada wondering how I’m doing and if everything is alright. As far as I can tell? Yes. But I’m in Beijing while the majority of the scare and isolation is happening in WuHan, about a three hour flight from the capital. If there is panic, it’s mostly on social media. This happens if you watch what’s trending on Twitter. Yes, the restaurants are much more empty and there are fewer people out and about; work has been put off for the time being (I’m betting it won’t restart until mid-March at the earliest); and the numbers of confirmed cases has gone up; but it doesn’t feel like there is panic here just yet, regardless of what you might read on social media. People might be venting, but no one’s throwing anything just yet, and I don’t think they will.
Overall, there is cause for concern but the world has seen this sort of thing before. We will get through it.