German lecturer pines for Wuhan

Sylvia Schroeder, a German intercultural communications lecturer at Wuhan University in Hubei province has taken to calling Wuhan her adopted home.

While much of the world now knows Wuhan only as the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, Schroeder－who is in her 40s－remembers it as a place of amazing beauty and change. She recalls buildings springing up, but also the creation of parks and green spaces. She also remembers the intellectual enthusiasm of her students and the vitality of the city.

"I love walking around the city, I love cycling around the city," Schroeder says."I love the life there."

Over the past several weeks, Schroeder has seen the Chinese city she loves come together with unrivaled resolve to overcome a major public health crisis through combined strength of solidarity in the face of adversity. She has seen the people working together in a spirit of self-sacrifice with a firm determination to get the situation under control.

"Even though my hometown will always be my birthplace and I cherish every opportunity to return to be with my family, Wuhan is the place where I want to live and I hope to return as soon as possible to contribute my efforts to the city's full recovery," she told China Daily.

Schroeder left for Beijing for a break before the Lunar New Year holiday. She had planned to return to Wuhan on Jan 30. However, the city was abruptly locked down on Jan 23 as a result of the outbreak.

Without the option of returning to Wuhan, Schroeder returned to her native Germany with a small bag holding only the most essential items. Ever since, she's been waiting anxiously for permission to return to Hubei's provincial capital.

"What has happened in Wuhan is tragic and there isn't a single day that I do not feel pain for the city and its people," Schroeder said.

As the virus spread to other cities around the country, the government expanded its various containment measures.

Following the announcement of the city's lockdown, Wuhan authorities released a public notice on Feb 14 that required all residential communities to be closed off and population movement to be minimized so as to reduce transmission of the disease.

Schroeder said people have made huge sacrifices in Wuhan. "Apart from the people who contracted the virus and their families who have made enormous personal sacrifices by remaining in isolation for very long periods, there are also the countless workers and helpers who have worked tirelessly to try and minimize the effects of the virus," she said.

There are also many stories about volunteers, medics and nurses from across the country, which are heartwarming, she added.

Schroeder hopes the measures that the Chinese government has taken to fight the virus will soon lead to the expected outcome of eradicating the contagion. "I choose to believe that, with the rigorous measures put in place, Chinese cities and provinces will come out the other end soon," she said.

With the virus spreading to other parts of the world, Schroeder said it is crucial that information and experience about the contagion's control is shared across the global community. "Europe and the rest of the world can now utilize the knowledge gained from China's experience to decide what measures can be applied in other regional contexts to try to contain the further spread within and across borders," she said.

"This is not a time to blame but a time to work together as smoothly as possible. What the global community needs to do now is to pool knowledge, resources and expertise to work toward a common goal."

With no imminent possibility of Schroeder returning to Wuhan, the university is taking measures to allow her to teach online and resume contact with her colleagues and students in China.

Schroeder said that with the various personal sacrifices continuing, the situation seems to be improving across the country. She can now begin to imagine an end to all of this, and look forward to returning to some level of normality.

"The people of Wuhan have experienced tremendous losses, but their pride in their city will help bring them through this period," she said.