By: Mihaela Manova
Wuhan, the Chinese city that became widely known as a being one of the first hot spots for COVID-19. As the entire world observed this city for its increasing numbers of infected persons, they were also hoping for an immediate cure.
As COVID-19 spread to the rest of the world and soon came even to the Midwest, some seemed to forget about the city that got hit first. Here is what Wuhan has been doing since the outbreak in January.
As of today, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, the map shows no red dots indicating a hot spot for COVID-19. The nearest one is in Hubei, China with 68,139 cases and 4,512 deaths.
During the month of October, a reporter from CGTN by the name of Zhou Minxi returned to Wuhan, their home city for the holidays. In an article for the news source, Minxi recounted the events that started in January when the city was sealed off from the rest of China.
Going back to Wuhan on a train, Minxi saw that traveling precautions were only intended for foreign travelers, as there was “a loudspeaker asking foreign nationals to produce their nucleic acid test results upon arrival,” recounted Minxi.
“From that moment, it is clear that for the people in Wuhan, the only risks now come from outside China.” Minxi explained the ways Wuhan came to revitalize themselves, by testing 10 million people in two weeks and “bringing back peace of mind” to the citizens there.
Now, Wuhan is living in ways that most people miss, enjoying freedom and even throwing parties. BBC News reported in August that the Wuhan Maya Beach Water Park had gone viral, as many partygoers were seen packed in pools or on bright orange floaties.
“It’s not a very 2020 image,” writes the BBC, as during those times, Europe and North America were experiencing troubling times with cases sky-rocketing.
An article from Bloomberg mentions the current party scene in Wuhan. Several signs warn that people should be wearing masks and staying distant, but now no one follows those rules.
The source explained, “No one sees the need. Wuhan has had just four confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus since May, when the city tested its entire population in the space of two weeks.”
Bloomberg explains that Wuhan sets an example for a “New China,” as the city now symbolizes “relative economic freedom but intense controls on speech” as President Xi Jinping wants to control the narrative and redefine the city. Bloomberg also mentions that people are scared of losing their jobs speaking against this control.
In February, Wuhan built two hospitals in two weeks to isolate coronavirus patients, an impressive feat that set an example to the world. These were called “instant hospitals,” as around 40+ makeshift hospitals were built in Wuhan to treat the patients.
As of March 2020, the curve of infected persons in Wuhan slowed and as most patients were treated, the hospitals were “sealed off and retired” as reported by NPR. The remaining patients were sent to the general hospitals to be treated.
The construction of these hospitals has said to be cost-effective and that “no one besides China has the resources or cost-effective labor to follow suit” said Raymond Pan, a design principal at HMC Architects who was interviewed by NPR.
As of today, the U.S election will decide on the next president, yet COVID-19 is still continuing to spread at record-breaking rates.
With Wuhan setting an example for disrupting the spread of the coronavirus, the U.S public is currently awaiting a vaccine in the future.
