This article is from the public account “ fuel economy (ID: rancaijing) “, author: Kong Mingming Zhao Lei Yan Jiao Li Jia Wei Jin Yu fan edit | Chang Zhou fan
According to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO), a “global pandemic” is a “new disease that is widely transmitted from person to person worldwide.” In the early morning of March 12, Beijing time, the World Health Organization qualified the new crown epidemic and announced that the 2019 coronavirus epidemic would be upgraded from “epidemic” to “global pandemic”.
The Director General of the World Health Organization, Tan Desai, said that in the past two weeks, the number of cases of coronavirus infections outside China has increased by 13 times and the number of affected countries has increased by 2 times. Currently, the epidemic is emerging in 114 countries and regions, and in the coming weeks, the number of confirmed cases, deaths and the number of affected countries is expected to climb further.
Panic is spreading to every corner of the world. Under the global pandemic, what has happened to Chinese people scattered all over the world, and how can they respond? How is the specific situation in their country different?
Ran Caijing talks with the Chinese in 7 severely infected countries. From their eyes, we can see that from the beginning, the world did n’t pay attention to “strictly guarding against death”, from the beginning, they did n’t care about protection, they could n’t buy masks, From the carelessness of the beginning to hoarding supplies or even buying guns, from the beginning of being lucky to escaping … Every country has a different culture and system, and each country has made its own protection choices. This is a game that requires all The world is facing a major disaster.
“We still need to look at disasters rationally, because similar things have happened in history. We still have to be calm, objective and optimistic, and we must also be prepared to face long-term difficulties.” Some interviewees said .
10,000 people marathon may bring outbreaks, many people are buying guns to cope with the disaster
Sun Linjia entrepreneur 36 years oldLos Angeles, United States
I work in Los Angeles, and have no plans to return to China for the time being. Now I will keep an eye on the epidemic situation in California, and many friends will forward it in the circle of friends.
When the domestic situation is more serious, I think that this epidemic will affect the whole world. It is only a matter of time. Common sense tells us that there is a high probability that this emerging infectious virus will develop globally before the vaccine is available. And compared with SARS in 2003, the degree of globalization is different.
I haven’t felt how much the United States attaches importance to this matter in national policy, and it has only started in the last two weeks. Probably last week, the governor of California said that the start of free testing was a signal of public policy. Schools will send hand sanitizers, etc. Others are propaganda precautionary measures, such as washing hands frequently, and not going to crowded places. On March 12, I also received a property notice from my residence.
I think public policies and measures are not enough now. However, the national conditions of the United States and China are different. The Chinese may be accustomed to move up and down after the macro-control policies come out. If the U.S. government issues measures requiring the people to wear masks, many people will definitely stand up and say that this is a violation of personal freedom. Some measures can’t be implemented, they can only be advocated.
Now many supplies are starting to be scarce, and more and more people wear masks on the road. This week is still different from last week. Recently, I receive a phone call or WeChat every day, asking me how is the situation here, let me pay attention to safety. Starting from last week, my parents asked me to check in the WeChat group every day, a video every two days, and asked me to store more food at home, not allowed to go out for a month, wearing a mask, etc.
The shelf comparison between March 14 and a week ago. Walmart in Los Angeles Source / Respondents
In terms of economy, I think the main impact is reflected in consumption. For example, people will rarely appear in shopping malls, restaurants, and scenic spots. Many people also reduce meetings and travel. Some friends said that they downloaded a lot of food delivery apps and used them much more frequently than before.
Thanks to friends, many people started buying guns for self-defense two weeks ago. Because of a major disaster in the history of the United States, thugs may storm into the homes of the people and rob. Many of them don’t really believe that the government or the police can protect the people when that happens.
People go to buy guns Source / Respondents
Last Sunday, more than 100,000 people from more than 20 countries, more than 50 states, and more than 100,000 people ran marathons in Los Angeles. I think this matter is likely to cause the virus to spread widely. Since last Sunday, I have stored food at home, and I do n’t go out at all. I plan to wait two weeks to see the specific situation before considering it.
March 14th, Target Market in Los Angeles
But I personally think that we still need to look at disasters rationally, because similar things have happened in history. We still have to be calm, objective and optimistic, but also do wellPrepare for long-term difficulties.
It was not until “the country was sealed off” that everyone really took seriously
Dylan student 22 years old Florence, Italy
In the past two months, I have traveled between Italy and China as if I have experienced two outbreaks.
On January 10, I returned to my hometown in Shandong from Florence. Just a few days later, the epidemic broke out. During the Spring Festival, the domestic situation was severe. At that time, I was thinking about Italy’s safety, so I flew back on February 5. I just got off the plane and took off my mask. It was great to breathe, but I didn’t expect that after 14 days of quarantine at home, an outbreak occurred in Italy, and I fell into another epidemic area.
Unlike China’s strict guarding against death, people here are as usual. Cafes, bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues are open. Everyone runs in the morning, walks dogs, and parties. What should you do? There is already one confirmed case in our school, and classes have not been suspended. If you don’t watch the news, you can’t feel the virus spreading rapidly.
I only go out twice a week and go to the supermarket to buy daily necessities. To be honest, going out with a mask requires courage. Opposite the supermarket I went to was a bar. One time, a group of people were staring at me and my girlfriend and thought we were strange. Another old lady said, “If you are not uncomfortable, you do not need to wear a mask.”
I don’t feel their fear either. Italian classmates said that this was a “severe cold”, and all the elderly died. The more people around me don’t care, the more I worry, because if you don’t pay attention, the epidemic will be difficult to control. Moreover, medical resources are limited. Once infected, we are not citizens of our country, and whether we can get timely treatment is also a problem.
I originally wanted to stock up my supplies and not go through. On March 7, Italy added more than 1,200 cases a day. In the Emilia region, the second most severe epidemic, there were still people fighting on the street. Basketball and sun. I just want to say two words: absolutely. I immediately decided to return to China and booked a ticket for the next day through a travel agency. At that time, the price of air tickets had already begun to rise. I usually bought tickets for 2,800 yuan. I spent 4,600 yuan to transfer from Dubai and flew for 17 hours. Along the way, I never took off my mask and dared not take a sip of water.
As soon as I left, Milan and other places began to blockade. On March 10, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in Italy exceeded 10,000. I think this is a turning point. Since that day, Italy has “capped the country”Only then can we really take it seriously.
On March 12, people lined up in front of a supermarket in Florence
As soon as the closure of the city was announced, the price of the return air ticket immediately increased, and in economy class, the ticket of tens of thousands of yuan still had to be seized. We have a WeChat group of “Outbreak Repatriation Squad”, obviously we can feel that everyone’s emotions are getting more and more impatient. The most commonly asked sentence in recent days is “Can you fly today?” One of my classmates bought No. 22 I still don’t know if I can fly if I have a flight back from Moscow.
Screenshots of the group chat for the “Episode Return Team”
From the photos sent by my classmates, the street is really empty now, and I still study Chinese experience. I drive a car and shout around the street, calling everyone not to go out. However, Italians have always been used to freedom and will not be so “obedient”, so no matter how blocked, it will certainly not be as strict as China. You only need to fill in a self-declaration like a passport to carry at any time, you can still go out .
On March 12, a post office in Florence was restricted in traffic, and citizens were on the streetFill out the form
I’m now quarantined in my hometown hotel. My studies in this half year have been delayed. The teacher will provide PPT and online e-learning for us to self-study, and will also send homework by email, but I am worried that the exam will not pass. Schools in Italy are suspended until April 3rd. Hopefully by that time, everyone can take off their masks and breathe freely.
Activities of 999 people continue, Chinese wearing masks will be discriminated against
Dirk, a 27-year-old practitioner in the pharmaceutical technology industry, Hamburg, Germany
After finishing my master’s degree in Germany, I stayed in the local work. It has been 9 years since I came to Germany in 2011. At present, the situation in Germany is very optimistic, the sensitivity of the national level to the epidemic is not enough, and the relevant measures are relatively lagging.
Since the epidemic in Italy has spread, Germany has not interrupted communication with Italy and has not learned from domestic epidemic prevention experience. After the case was found in Germany, carnivals, parties, parades, ball games, etc. continued, and tens of thousands of people kept making troubles.
Some initiatives are still a little clueless. Two or three days ago, states announced that “various activities with more than 1,000 people” were banned. In other words, the activities of 999 people continued as usual. The limitation of some university libraries is that they can only accommodate 350 people at the same time. How these numbers come, I don’t know.
When the epidemic began to spread, The authorities even informed the public through the media that washing hands and fighting with viruses and wearing masks to fight the virus were useless. Our judgment on this information is that there is an acute shortage of materials on the market, which cannot support all people to wear masks. The authorities can only soothe the hearts of the people.
In fact, there have been signals. As early as the outbreak in China, my international student circle was buying protective equipment and donating it to China. Obviously, European countries were not prepared for the virus. When the first case appeared in Hamburg, masks and disinfectant supplies in the store were sold out overnight. I do n’t know if it was bought by a Chinese or a foreigner.
At the same time, authorities have told the public that 60 to 70% of Germans will be infected.
About this figure, the explanation given by local medical schools and doctors is that European countries, including Germany, cannot follow China ’s grand move to close the city. They need to find a balance between the national economy and the epidemic prevention virus. Unable to control the virus in a short time, they want to control the disease by delaying the spread of the virus.
In the end, 60-70% of the population is affected, but as long as the front is stretched long enough, for example, 100-200 new cases are added daily, the medical system has enough beds and doctors to respond.
Obviously, reality broke their assumptions. The news on the evening of the 12th in German time was that more than 1,000 new cases were diagnosed in a single day, which can be said to usher in an outbreak.
But the streets of Hamburg are still bustling. Chinese people have a strong sense of self-protection. They must wear masks when they go out. The Germans are completely the opposite. No one wears a mask and is calm. In the beginning, they didn’t realize the seriousness. Now even if they realize that the N95 masks on the market have risen from 5 to 15 Euros, they can’t buy them at all.
Many European countries have an “anti-masking law” to prevent terrorists, which prohibits wearing veils in public places. This law has a deep-rooted impact on some of Germany’s particularly stubborn people, especially the elderly. If you wear a mask in public, you will be discriminated against, people around you will stare at you, and they cannot understand why you wear a mask.
Hamburg School Announces Class Closure Source / Photo courtesy
The latest news is that schools in Hamburg will be closed next Monday. It is hoped that the authorities will introduce more effective measures.
Transparency of management under elite governance is a panacea for epidemic prevention and control
Tracy Yao jewelry designer 40 years old Singapore
I spend half of my year in Singapore. My husband is resident here, and my children go to school in China. Some time ago, she was on vacation. We organized a study tour group. She came to Singapore with the group on January 16th, and the others probably returned on the early morning of the 21st. That same day, the academician Zhong Nanshan in China announced “person-to-person”.
We felt very lucky at the time, and we also discussed with our partners beforeThis group is a year ago or a year later. If the year is later, the loss will be very heavy, because the domestic travel agencies in Singapore will be required to return the prepayment, but the travel agency has already given the prepayment to the hotel in Singapore. Many travel Small and medium enterprises will not do it.
Singapore is currently okay. Yesterday, 13 new cases were added and 200 cases were accumulated. For a country with a population of more than 5 million people, it should be well controlled when the control measures are not particularly severe. I think the most important reason is that the input channel was blocked early. The government’s work is very transparent, giving the people a strong confidence and everything is orderly.
Singapore Map / Visual China
The Prime Minister gave a speech in early February, and spoke publicly two days ago, calling on the people to do their work well, don’t panic, and give valuable medical resources to the critically ill. Singapore will not take measures such as closing the city, but it is expected that the measures will be strengthened and tested in advance to prepare Singaporeans.
Although the society as a whole is relatively stable, Singapore is a diverse country. There have been several cluster infections before. There are church assemblies, military clubs, etc. The government can do more initiatives, and small assemblies are not strictly controlled. In addition, the power of religion cannot be underestimated. A very strange thing happened a few days ago, a government minister gathered 200 people to hold a fight against epidemic, a very strange operation.
I think the response measures have a lot to do with national conditions. Singapore is governed by the elite, the society is very rational, and the management is transparent. A Wuhan couple lied about the itinerary being controlled in Singapore, and everyone met to discuss your integrity issues. A PR (permanent resident) was deported because he refused to be separated from his home, the phone was not answered, and the authorities issued a non-response, and his eligibility for permanent residence was cancelled. This is not tolerated in Singapore.
Second, Singapore ’s resources are too scarce to cause public panic. The Singapore government does not recommend that people wear masks from the beginning to the end, saying that you only need to wear a mask when you are sick. It is not recommended to wear masks if you are not sick. Where needed. One day a lot of new cases were added.