Home thoughts as we look forward to happier times

On Jan 20, renowned Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan said the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province, can spread from human to human and some medical workers there were infected with the virus.

As the Chinese Lunar New Year fell on Jan 25, many were still preparing for their annual family reunions during the one-week national holiday.

My parents booked their train tickets to Beijing one month ago in order to celebrate the traditional festival with me.

Before they hopped on the train from our hometown, a small city in Hubei, I told them to wear masks, glasses and wash their hands regularly.

I thought the pneumonia outbreak was only severe in Wuhan and didn't realize its national implications at the time.

While they were on the train, I sensed the situation was worse than I expected after reading various news reports.

I went to a nearby pharmacy and convenience store and bought 25 N95 masks－that's all I could find.

It never occurred to me that masks would be "the hard currency "in the country within one week, as supply became much lower than demand. I also purchased some masks online for my other family members in Hubei.

I made up my mind to undertake a period of self-isolation at home for two weeks. I bought an electrical thermometer and stored up on a week's vegetables and meat, and some convenience food.

I disinfected my parents' clothes and luggage before they entered the house. I explained the situation to them and persuaded them to cancel our original plan to visit relatives in Beijing.

Later, the Wuhan authorities announced the city would be cut off from transportation links, like railways, air travel and the highways, starting from 10 am, Jan 23. Soon, the whole province adopted the same measure.

Around that time, many of those who originated from the province returned their train or air tickets due to safety concerns. They spent their Spring Festival alone in the city where they work, yet were still worried about family members back home.

About 9 million people still live in Wuhan, which is dubbed as "the city that sacrifices itself to save others".

Some people left the province hastily when they knew it would soon be closed off.

A friend of mine drove 1,000 kilometers from another province to her hometown in Hubei to pick up her young daughter. She reported to the community and endured a period of self-isolation when she returned home. But her parents refused to go with her. She had a heavy heart because she didn't know when they would be reunited.

During my self-isolation, I spent much of my time reading online news and chatting with my friends, who are still in Wuhan, on WeChat. I joined several volunteer groups to post information of patients who needed hospital treatment.

I also did telephone interviews with doctors from Hubei, and volunteer drivers that transport medical professionals in Wuhan, for China Daily's cover stories. It's a responsibility for me both as a reporter and a Hubei local.

It's a tradition for the Chinese to have a big family reunion dinner on the Chinese Lunar New Year, but this time, my family members, instead, had a group video chat to extend their festive greetings.

Last year, I bought a treadmill when I felt the urge to exercise and lose weight. During our self-isolation, jogging on the machine is our favorite entertainment.

The residents' community is in charge of getting information about those recently coming to Beijing and who they've been in contact with. They called me every day to check our health and temperature readings.

Thanks to China's convenient e-commerce platforms, we're able to feed ourselves and store up daily necessities, including medicine, by shopping online.

I would ask the delivery man to drop my goods outside my door－a large plastic bag of vegetables and meat－and I would come back later to disinfect the package before I gathered the goods.

Many housing estates across China are now forbidding the entry of delivery people, so residents have to go to the housing estate gate to take the goods. Luckily, a member of staff from the residents' community brought my goods to the door of my house when she knew I was unable to go out due to my self-isolation. In Hubei province, many housing estates do grocery shopping for the residents.

Luckily, the three of us are well after the self-isolation, and we still stay at home due to safety concerns.

I pursued my undergraduate studies in Wuhan for four years. Wuhan, with its vibrant streets full of the flavor of life, is one of my favorite cities. Now I often wonder what has happened to the people I know there after the outbreak, and hope everybody is well.

When the situation returns to normal, I will definitely revisit Wuhan and my hometown, to see my relatives, friends and sample the authentic and delicious dishes of Hubei, as a cure for my homesickness.