Front-line workers' bravery calms my fears, inspires me

My trip to Wuhan came suddenly.

On the morning of Feb 14, I received notice that I would be going to Wuhan that afternoon. I packed my luggage and rushed to the railway station.

The six-hour journey from Beijing passed quickly. When the train arrived at the station and I stepped onto the platform, there was a warm breeze blowing in snowy Wuhan. At that time, I did not feel that I was in the national epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

However, later I found the winter in Wuhan felt very cold to me, and such external factors made me feel somewhat emotional. I began to worry that the coming days in Wuhan might prove to be very difficult, and I began to fear the novel coronavirus.

When I woke up the next day, I pulled back the curtains in my room. The sun had come out. I heard the birds chirping and saw a dog romping around in the yard outside, which calmed me a lot.

And as I started my work as a journalist, my initial fear of the novel coronavirus paled in comparison to the vivid stories I heard revealing the heroic character of the people of Wuhan.

As I interviewed more people, I started to feel more secure and found a sense of purpose. I headed to the designated hospitals, makeshift hospitals, communities and other places at the front line of the coronavirus fight to get stories. When I saw the many busy and determined medical workers who had no time to rest and others who had continued to serve in various positions, my anxieties gradually disappeared. On the contrary, seeing these people gave me great motivation as well as a strong sense of security.

What impressed me was the steady look in their eyes behind the goggles, their hair soaked with sweat, their faces with red marks from wearing masks. In addition to providing medical assistance, medical workers became the friends and family members of patients. They helped elderly patients eat and younger ones wash their hair. In these seemingly ordinary moments, the medical workers became superheroes.

During one of my interview attempts, a volunteer asked me, "Could you not film me?"

When I asked him why, he said, "I have been a volunteer for more than 20 days, and my family doesn't know. I am afraid they will see me in the news and worry about me."

In another instance, a man politely refused my interview request and kept apologizing.

"Everyone in our team is doing the work of three people," he explained. "The workload is heavy, and we only sleep three or four hours a day. There is really no time for interviews. If it affects the work, it will delay the medical workers' meals. You can interview the medical workers more often－they are the heroes."

The battle against the virus was not only confined to hospitals. The operations of the city were intertwined with public security officers, grassroots officials, sanitation workers, electricity security personnel, community volunteers and many others. Everyone who worked on the front lines during the epidemic was worth celebrating.

All I could do was try my best to find those unsung heroes. As a video reporter, I felt I should record these historic moments with my camera.

During the epidemic, I shuttled through the streets of Wuhan, marking the second time I came to this city. While Wuhan has been quiet over the past few months, everyone living here has filled the city with an undeniable energy.

Wuhan continues to show its many diverse sides to the world. Even in the midst of an epidemic, the city cannot conceal its irresistible charm.