Fear during lockdown not justified

Floriana Thomas, 23, from Sierra Leone, recently shared information with people in her hometown about how Wuhan－the hardest-hit city in China by COVID-19 and the city where she is a student－is fighting the disease.

Thomas is enrolled in classes at Central China Normal University in the Hubei province capital to prepare her for regular college courses. She compares the past two months with the time her homeland was attacked by a viral contagion.

"My country was attacked by the Ebola virus several years ago. And the main support came from China in terms of the medical staff, medicine and protective equipment," she said. "So today, I want to stay here and spend this difficult time with my Chinese friends."

In 2014, Sierra Leone was hit hard by the Ebola epidemic. China sent a team of 59 medical experts and donated $1.6 million in medicines and medical equipment to the West African country.

At her father's suggestion, Thomas decided to travel to Wuhan in September. She said she was attracted by the prospects of a high-quality education and the pleasant climate.

But when the city was locked down on Jan 23, she was scared and depressed over the spread of a previously unknown disease.

"My father's encouragement and support gave me power and strength to get through it. He told me that he knew clearly that China's national system is designed to ensure everyone's safety. It will strike hard to fight the virus."

The following development proved Thomas' father was right and the country mobilized over 40,000 medical workers from around the country to go to Wuhan. The situation has gradually come under control.

The university also managed to help provide international students like Thomas with food, hand sanitizer and surgical masks. Campus volunteers provided free drinking water and health checks regularly.

"As a foreigner in China, I have been telling my friends that I don't feel too much like a foreigner because I have been taken good care of. I don't think there is anything to worry about here in Wuhan," she said.

Thomas described the experience in an article she wrote for Sierra Leone's Awoko newspaper: "The emergence of the epidemic and the closure of the city for over a month caused many difficulties. But it is fear itself that should be feared. In Wuhan, there is no shortage of basic necessities but (there also is) courage and optimism to cope with difficult situations." The article ran on Feb 21 with the headline: We all stand with China during the novel coronavirus epidemic.

She has told people in her hometown about measures taken in China to deal with the epidemic, including restricting people's movement, controlling public transportation, building designated hospitals and reporting information in a timely manner.

"I believe that this epidemic will be defeated under the leadership of the Chinese government and with the efforts of all medical workers."

Yu Hang and Li Jia contributed to this story.