Before you read this, I just want to clarify one thing: I can only speak from my own experience. That may be different from what’s happening to the rest of my fellow Chinese, but in one way or another, it may also share some similarities with the rest.
The week after the official rescinding of China’s Zero-Covid policy, my boss booked a trip for everyone in my department to spend a few days in a villa in the middle of the mountains in Zhejiang Province. By the time we arrived at the hotel, half of the crew didn’t make it. They got Covid infections. Those who did make it, seemed like the only guests in the enormous hotel. We all joked that we must be the God-chosen employees to work in this time when half of the nation are running 104 °F fever. By the time we left there, two more employees fell ill. When I returned to work, I could barely find my colleagues. Covid did spread fast; and it didn’t occur to us to consider the so-called asymptomatic.
It’s Christmas Eve today when I write this. My father, who has been a GP doctor for his entire life, finally got some time to travel back to our house on Chongming island so as to deliver some cold medications to my grandparents. Before he left, he found out that he was Covid-positive, through the antigen test. The travel had to be canceled as he can’t risk infecting two elderly grandparents in their 80s. At last, we decided to mail the medications to them. We wrapped the medication to conceal it. My mother joked that she didn’t want the medications stolen. It was a joke but a reflection of the shortage of cold/fever/painkiller medications in all cities in China. When the Chinese government decided to loosen up the Zero-Covid restriction, it happened all too fast and I believe without plans.
What happened is inevitable and has happened in many other countries that had lifted their Covid restrictions long before China did. People in China rushed to hospitals and pharmacies for medications. Almost overnight, no cold medications were available in the market, and hospitals only prescribed a ration of cold medications (sometimes only a few pills a person). Some city dwellers went to the other way, ordering online purchases in pharmacies located in rural areas where the medication panic has yet to arrive. Accusations against such behavior followed. My family is lucky enough to have access to medications, but even that, one person’s social security card only gets one/two prescriptions. With family members, one after another, falling ill, my father’s cellphone has become a free family clinic landline. Some are asking for help as they are out of medications. Some are worried about their high fevers. Some simply need to talk to someone about their symptoms. It’s been over 2 weeks since all restrictions were erased. People who got ill have got well over a week or so. The symptoms did catch people off guard but most of them did get well.
How many people are dying because of this new strong wave of infections? I only saw a few cases of deaths, because they suffer from complications due to high fever. The number of death cases is suppressed, but I do doubt the horrendous dying scene as indicated in Western media. It is true that hospitals are packed with Covid patients. Cities are empty as people are either ill or too afraid to get infected.
There is a public concern that those who are in a most delicate state may die either of Covid complications or not being able to be treated in a timely manner due to the stress the health system is going through right now. Western media are blaming the Chinese government of going from one extreme to another without a solid plan like procuring and dispensing medications, using stronger vaccinations, or strengthening health system. All on points. However, the way the West is portraying it does cause some aversion, especially among those trusted Western media outlets on their reports regarding Zero-Covid policies. No country has prepared enough before the loosening the Covid restrictions. Wherever Chinese government moves toward, right or left, west media always finds it at fault. Western media can be such a hypocrite (I’m not saying ours isn’t). It’s a bit exhausting to read Western media after all of these. No country is straight A student in terms of Covid. Maybe just cut us some slack.
But there is a lingering question — What does the Chinese government do from now on? The healthcare resource is squeezed to its limit. How do they make up for the preparation they failed to do before loosening the policy? There has been a public voice about approving foreign vaccines since the experience has told everyone that the inactivated Sinovac doesn’t seem to do its job. Moreover, maybe the government should work with those multinational and domestic pharmaceutical companies to make sure that all of the citizens receive timely and effective medications. There are many things that the government needs to think about and work on. There is also jarring question facing each one of us. That is, how do we live with Covid in as normal a life as possible? Human beings are social animals; no one can live in isolation for a long time. It is challenging to carry on and live a post-Covid normal life without some changes of mindset and behaviors.
Editor’s note: Since submitting this story, Jing has come down with and is recovering from COVID-19, a light fever and other symptoms.
