As the number of deaths related to coronavirus continues to climb in Canada, the United States and elsewhere in the world, we need to stay apart physically to contain the spread of the virus. But we also need to stay connected socially and emotionally more than ever.
I haven’t lived in China for almost 30 years. But my sister still lives in Beijing, my hometown. She raised her only child as a single mother. Now her 28-year-old son lives in New York City, an epicentre of the coronavirus in the US. He planned to go back to China for a visit in March. But his trip had to be postponed because of the pandemic.
My sister has been alone for a long time. I always feel guilty that I haven’t kept in touch with her.
During this extraordinary time, however, we have started to chat frequently on WeChat. As the death toll surged in Wuhan and the coronavirus spread to Beijing, the Chinese capital of 21 million people was placed under lockdown. My sister sent me a picture of the pass she must carry when she ventures out of her hutong (narrow street).
She wears a mask whenever she is out and about and gets her temperature taken at entrances of her Hutong, at subway stations, and supermarkets. But the shortage of masks hasn’t caused a problem for her. She showed me how to make them using tissue paper step by step online. She has always been resourceful.
When I told my relatives about my current job at Pearson International Airport, they were all concerned. “Be careful!” “Protect yourself!” they said. My niece even offered to send 100 masks from Beijing. When my eldest son had a fever after his Vancouver trip in March, everyone got nervous. “Watch him closely.” “Drink hot water,” my sister suggested. My niece recommended a good rest and Chinese herbal medicine.
I check on my nephew in New York City, too. I worry about him not only because of the coronavirus but also the attacks against Chinese people in the US right now. Ever since President Donald Trump referred to the outbreak as a “Chinese virus,” there has been a surge in racially-motivated attacks against Asian people.
My nephew is alright, though. During the lockdown, he and his girlfriend developed a computer game. He also created a computer program to model different scenarios for the outbreak. The video he posted on bilibili, the video-sharing website, has 508,000 views so far. Now his program is used to educate elementary and high school students in China about the coronavirus.
Recently, I have been in contact with my favourite cousin in Beijing. We recalled our happy time together, boating on the Summer Palace’s Kunming Lake, more than 40 years ago. He sent me three of his traditional Chinese paintings. The beautiful flowers remind me that spring is already here! Haven’t you heard birds? Haven’t you seen buds in trees? Haven’t you noticed that the sun is brighter and the sky bluer?
There are no bystanders in this pandemic. We are all facing the same unprecedented challenges. That is a comfort in this fierce storm.
@nowtoronto
