Foreign lecturer takes lockdown in stride

I never experienced a situation when a whole city is locked down. But I think it is a good way to stop the virus from spreading. Exceptional situations need exceptional measures.

Here, life on campus has not changed so much, except that most of the students went home for Spring Festival, making it a lot quieter than before.

The city is locked down, but all the people on campus can still go to the supermarkets to buy their daily necessities. The cafeteria is open. So far there is no lack of supply, which I can confirm. I go out each day for physical exercise. I wear a mask when I go outside. I wash my hands more often.

Actually, it is possible to go out in your part of town. On the weekend, I was outside of campus. I was curious because the traffic restrictions were announced. I strolled around and it was quite amazing seeing such big roads with nearly no cars.

The communication between lecturers and the school authorities is good, and they keep us up to date. If I have any further questions, I can call my Chinese contact partner.

I am feeling well. I have no problems with my health. For me, the situation is still relatively comfortable. I am here for work, I live on my own without responsibilities for a family. My family lives in Germany. We contact each other via Skype, WeChat or WhatsApp. My boys are all rational people, they keep everything in perspective, and they stick to the facts.

My original plan was to go to Huangpi, a district in Wuhan. They announced a special program for tourists to join traditional activities. Unfortunately, it was canceled.

To make a long story short, you can say things have changed and you have to cope with it. Try to keep calm, find something that keeps you busy－that's what I try.

Bettina Mauser spoke with Zhou Lihua and Li Lei.