However, in early December, in one of the largest cities in China - the 11 millionth Wuhan - when several cases of infection were announced, the new type of virus did not cause panic either in the country, or even more so in the world: pneumonia was treated as a seasonal phenomenon. Tourists continued to visit Wuhan, and despite troubling news of growing cases, the city authorities did not take urgent sanitary measures.
“We were told that this is just one of the cases of pneumonia and asked not to worry. From news sources, I learned that the virus was transmitted to humans through an animal in one of Wuhan's markets. I was not surprised, since open markets where animals are traded neglect sanitary standards. Finally, the diversity of the animal world amazes the inexperienced tourist: turtles, toads and even pigeons are sold here. Waste spills onto pedestrian roads. If you walk along the market, you need to be very careful: under your feet are dirty rags, small discarded fish. In the evening, the garbage is removed, and the next day the picture repeats, ”comments Goldie, a resident of Chibi.
“Initially, the markets worked as usual, all goods were available. Only four days later (after the closure of Huangang, an urban district in Hubei Province), the number of people selling their products began to decline sharply. In the following days, markets began to close completely. Only supermarkets worked, and the rest of the stores within a radius of 10-15 kilometers were closed. Despite the onset of the Chinese New Year and general holiday, markets should not have closed. Elderly people usually work in the markets, those who settled in the city. They need to somehow feed themselves and live on some means, so the markets have always been open, ”Daniil Parfenovich, student, Huangang, Hubei Province, shares his memories.
Coronavirus: history of origin
The Covid-19 virus, officially named February 10, belongs to a huge family of coronaviruses. It is found in a variety of animals, including camels and cats. The virus originates from bats. Coronaviruses can be transmitted from animal to human. After entering the human body, the virus adapts, after which a new stage in the development of the virus begins, in which it passes from person to person.
For the first time, the virus genome was discovered in December 2019 with the help of laboratory analysis taken from a patient with pneumonia. On December 31, 2019, Chinese authorities notified WHO of several cases, and on January 7, 2020, information about a new coronavirus was released. A few days later, Chinese scientists were able to decipher the coronavirus genome, which made it possible to further develop a test to detect the virus in human blood.
Initially, experts assumed that the source of the infection was raw seafood in the Huanan market. However, at the end of January in a published study by the journal of medical virology, scientists said that snake meat could be a possible source of infection. The basis for the hypothesis was a comparison of the genetic code of the virus with animal codes. Despite the studies, some experts believe that a reliable source of infection remains unknown.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published information stating that the new virus is similar to SARS or MERS. These viruses lead to serious complications, including shortness of breath, pulmonary edema, and death. According to studies, the first symptoms of Covid-19 coronavirus can appear after 2 days, and the maximum incubation period is 14 days. During the incubation period, the infected person does not show any symptoms, however, the probability of transmission of the virus is highest during this time. Depending on the general state of immunity and the presence of concomitant diseases, the disease proceeds in different ways.
Radical Precautions
An outbreak of pneumonia began shortly before the Chinese New Year. As of January 22, the virus managed to spread not only throughout the Celestial Empire, but also beyond its borders. In particular, cases were confirmed in South Korea, Thailand, the USA and Japan.
“To prevent the disease, Chinese employers promptly sent out sanitary instructions on Wichata messengers. We were required to avoid markets, wash our hands, wear masks and conduct daily wet cleaning in our apartments. True, there were problems with several points - the masks were sold out overnight. A couple of days ago, people crowded in the city center without masks, smiled joyfully. A day later, the whole city was covered with fabric bandages - everything was bought up at the pharmacy. Delivery did not work well, so employers tried to provide employees with everything they needed through their channels. Those who managed to order masks in advance at Taobao. But the main unspoken warning is in no case to enter Wuhan. I had a ticket from Wuhan home on January 23rd. I woke up in the morning and read a message that Wuhan was quarantined. Like this, without notice, a huge city was closed. I was afraid that I could not return home and see my family. Only one thing was clear - you need to go to the railway station and leave the province by any train. Having left most of the things, I bought a ticket to Xian, in which everything was more or less calm at that time. Arriving late at night in another city, I found out that the city of Chibi was closed 5 hours after my departure, ”- Goldie, Chibi city.
Shortly after the closure of Wuhan, the Chinese side restricted entry and exit to Hubei Province.
“At first, there was nothing known about the virus, there were only rumors that something suspicious was walking around Hubei Province. I found out that the province was closed from my teachers and mentors who oversaw me. At that moment, I felt devastated and feeling helpless, because I could not go anywhere and do nothing. We were in four walls, and they did not let us out. If they released, then only one person each and gave time limits so that we went to the supermarket, took the necessary products and returned back, ”says Daniil Parfenovich.
“At first, I thought that there was a virus that could be quickly cured and that no problems should arise. The closure of the province alerted me: roads were gradually closing, and the airport in Wuhan. Canceled by high-speed trains. There was no way out. Then I began to think about what could happen next: the closure of grocery stores, cities, and ultimately - complete isolation. The closure was not announced immediately - the first two or three days we led a familiar lifestyle. Only after a couple of days we were presented with a tough condition to be careful and go out less often. We were recommended to stay in the hostel whenever possible. The main requirement was strict hygiene: be sure to wash your hands and do wet cleaning as often as possible. We were even given special solutions with bleach - and in fact they were sent to wash the floors. However, we were not presented with information in a harsh manner. The information was conveyed as a fait accompli. There was no panic. People tried to buy as many products as possible and long-term dry rations, that is, ordinary noodles that are boiled with boiling water. At that time, she practically did not remain in stores. The main requirement was maintained throughout the quarantine: do not leave home, ”the student continued.
On February 17, it became known about the first case of coronavirus infection in a Russian woman on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is quarantined in Japan. In total outside of mainland China, cases of infection were detected in 25 countries around the world, including Russia - these are two citizens of the PRC in Transbaikalia and Tyumen. Experts call the complexity of the diagnosis of coronaviurs 2019-nCoV one of the reasons for its spread. To prevent this process in the country, Russian scientists have developed a system for testing for a new coronavirus, it has already been registered. At the same time, other anti-proliferation measures are being taken: the government has banned regular flights with China from February 12 for all Russian carriers except Aeroflot, which since February 18 has also reduced the number of flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Guangzhou.
Evacuation
Due to the rapid spread of coronavirus, the Russian government decides to urgently evacuate Russian citizens from Hubei province. Preparation for the operation begins on February 3. The evacuation process lasts from February 4 to 5. On the evening of February 4, a bus with citizens of Russia and the CIS arrives in Wuhan, where two aircraft of the Aerospace Forces were delivered. After arriving in Russia, all evacuees are taken to a Tyumen hospital for quarantine. A total of 144 people were evacuated, including 128 people - citizens of Russia and citizens of the CIS, who declared their desire to leave the province. About how the evacuation took place, Daniil Parfenovich shared his memories.
“All of January I was on New Year’s holidays according to the Chinese calendar. The city was closed, it was impossible to go anywhere, and I did not see any reason to stay in this place, since I could not realize myself. As soon as I saw the news of the evacuation, I decided to write to the embassy and draw up all the documents. Some students stayed, but I do not know what drives them. Perhaps they just do not want to go back.
Evacuation to Wuhan took place by bus. Before the arrival of the bus, we first phoned. In general, everything went well. Although there were problems at the first post: they stopped us and began to check the temperature. This is the norm: patrols are everywhere and they check people's health. One person showed not that high temperature, but 37, which is the norm in almost all of Russia. As a result, we stood for 20-30 minutes at this post and dealt with the situation: they called the embassy, talked with the Chinese side. Everything turned out well, and then we got without problems. Someone was happy to evacuate, someone not. Some had a good job in China, there were students among us. Unfortunately, many plans and hopes collapsed overnight in connection with the spread of coronavirus.
Evacuation from Wuhan took place in two stages: in total there were two groups and two aircraft. The first group set off much earlier. I ended up in the second group, and we flew out a few hours later, because there were people at risk with us: they recorded an elevated temperature and were detained for testing: for several hours they were checked for health with the help of an express test. This process is not fast, and we had to wait about three to four hours until everything is clarified until the end.
In my opinion, the evacuation process went perfectly: we were fed, we were taken care of. At the Chinese airport, in addition to checking for temperature, a thorough check of baggage was carried out. At the Russian airport, the plane lingered a bit and stopped indefinitely in the runway. Special buses pulled up to the plane, and upon exiting we began to be given new masks of the highest quality: they were much better than their Chinese counterparts. The buses immediately announced the lists of who would live with whom in the Tyumen hospital. We were also given instructions on the rules of hygiene and precaution for the virus. The instruction was a special package containing a disinfectant, a bottle of filtered water and several packages of wet and dry wipes. ”
Quarantine
“Quarantine takes place in a certain building in Buildings A and B. Building A is for people who have lived in Wuhan for the past 14 days. The same group of people flew the first flight. We are allowed absolutely everything, but only within our room. Now we cannot contact anyone, we cannot leave the room due to the fact that the virus is able to spread through the air. If you leave the room, the quarantine will be automatically renewed for another 14 days. In general, the hospital’s employees created ideal conditions for us: food, comfortable beds, heating, places for things. ”
According to the latest data, tests for coronavirus in all Russians in the hospital are negative. A Chinese citizen hospitalized in Chita was successfully discharged from the Regional Hospital.
