Stories of Hope: China’s medical volunteers to Wuhan are now going home

March 21, 2020584 views0

Okay, if you want to criticize this post by throwing hate at China, stop! This is not about a country, this is about the heroism of those in the frontline. If this virus started somewhere else would you react the same way? So before proceeding, please leave your stigmas, stereotypes and hate at the doorstep. Patients and medical health workers who are at the center of this story didn’t want this to happen, but it happened, and now, here we are.

Days before the Chinese new year, the government in Wuhan has shut down all transportation and placed the city in total lockdown which extended to the Hubei province. The enemy was not military, the enemy was something invisible called SARS-CoV-2. This is the name of the virus and the disease it causes- COVID-19. Prior to January, however, a Doctor already sounded the alarm on this new virus last December through their alumni WeChat. Doctor Li WenLiang sounded off the alarm through the app WeChat telling his colleagues to be careful about a SARS-like virus that led to the quarantine of patients in the hospital he was working for. After his post went viral online, police went searching for him and brought to the police station where he was “reprimanded” and sent home. Weeks later, Dr. Li contracted the disease and on February 7 he died.

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Doctor Li WenLiang Honored

Weeks after his arrest Doctor Li WenLiang was vindicated by the Chinese Supreme Court saying “It might have been a fortunate thing…if the public listened to his “rumor” at that time…” China’s National Health Commission honored Doctor Li WenLiang along with 505 other medical professionals in their dedication to fight the, at the time, epidemic.

The COVID-19 at Present

At present, the World Health Organization has announced that COVID-19 is now a pandemic, affecting countries around the globe. The epicenter of the battle against this virus is now in Europe, particularly in Italy, as they report a highest day-to-day number of deaths due to COVID-19.

A Ray Of Hope

China’s battle against COVID-19 may now have shown a light at the end of the tunnel. Their scramble to contain the virus and to treat patients is now paying off. Just a few days back Wuhan has only recorded one new patient positive for COVID-19 for the whole day. And because of the decline of new patients as well as the decline in death in Wuhan. Medical professionals volunteers from different provinces in China are now able to go back home.

March 17, 2020 Vlog by New China TV

In this March 17, 2020 vlog by New China TV, it showed the preparations of the medical workers from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region as they go home to their region. The Vlog showed how they rode the bus and a Wuhan volunteer wearing a Pikachu mascot costume bidding them goodbye. Inside the bus you can see the medical workers watching videos of the loved ones they left to battle the virus in Wuhan.

The respect they got from the people of Wuhan is astounding. Their bus was escorted by the police, and in every checkpoint, police would stand straight and salute the medical workers. In the airport, they were welcomed by a grateful community chanting “Salute to you, Thank You Ningxia”. Their airline tickets were also specially made as a remembrance of their dedication. Before boarding the plane they were again thanked by the people of Wuhan. The video showed a grateful community to the medical workers who dedicated their lives to stopping the menace that is COVID-19.

We are sharing this to show that in solidarity, as one, we too can beat this virus. The best way to beat this is for everyone to cooperate, observe proper hygiene and handwashing as well as practice social distancing. We do not want the same magnitude of devastation to happen in our own soil if that happens our medical workers are not enough to fight this virus. Cooperate, learn from other countries that have already seen the light at the end of the tunnel, and set aside your hate, stigma, stereotype and political affiliation, let us unite against a common enemy and together we shall also overcome.