Cavan teacher returns to China despite virus risk

Seamus Enright

A Cavan teacher living in China has returned to the country despite the threat of possibly contracting a dangerous virus now being referred to as COVID-19.
“It’s not even the virus I’m worried about, it’s more the travel ban,” says Roisin Conaty from Killynebber near Cavan Town. “When you look at the number of deaths, and I know they jumped up a few days ago, but we were all expecting that anyway, that it had been under-reported. But the vast majority of those are all in the Hubei province. Shanghai, for a population of 24-25 million people, still only has 300 cases and one death.”
As of last weekend, China had reported more than 70,000 cases of Covid-19 infection, with some 94% of those confined to the Hubei province. There have been 1,772 deaths.
Outside China, there have been 694 cases and four deaths.
Having spent a week in Japan after the Irish consulate advised that citizens leave earlier this month, Roisin returned to China after the school she works at told staff to be back by February 17, to then begin a two-week period of ‘quarantine’ ahead of opening again in mid-March.

Quarantine
“I believe that just means avoiding airports and train stations for the minute, and just staying at home as much as possible. So they expect us to do that before returning to work.”
She adds: “I have a few in a similar situation to me, either working in a school or a company. They’re aiming to start back in March, with everyone due back around now, though the word is that the Ministry of Education is having another meeting to determine when schools will start back. There’s rumours it might now not be until May,” she says with a nervous laugh. “That wouldn’t be good news.”
Since returning to Shanghai though, Roisin has seen life in the country’s largest city, located some 800 kilometres from the centre of the outbreak - Central China’s Hubei province - starting to show some signs of returning to normality.
“From what I saw on the taxi home there is definitely a lot more people about. Most businesses officially opened this week, but bars and restaurants have remained closed and I don’t think they’ve been given a date to reopen.”
Even still, precautions are still being taken. For instance, she explains that delivery people are not allowed within residential compounds. 
“There is a table set up outside the gate and if anyone orders online shopping they have to go out and get it. I’ve heard with some compounds you have to register first with the local apartment authority, show them proof you live there and you get a card which you show going in and out. We haven’t got to that level. I’m not sure if those are places which had a case or suspected case and maybe that’s why they’re being more vigilant there.”
Furthermore, upon her flight back to Shanghai from Tokyo, Roisin recalls having her temperature checked leaving Japan, then again on the plane, and upon arrival in China in the quarantine area at the airport. “I had my temperature checked again queuing up for taxis. So they’re being very vigilant.”

Masks
As for face-masks, which were at a premium at one stage, Roisin tells the Celt: “If you want to go anywhere in public you have to wear them. But even if it doesn’t stop the virus from getting in it stops you from touching your mouth as much, which is said to be a much bigger factor in the spread. I still wore it the whole time at Tokyo airport and on the plane. Even in Tokyo a lot of people are wearing masks. I think it’ll be like that for a while, but slowly you can definitely see the life coming back.”