Break Out of the Outbreak Insanity: Reflections on Week 6 of Self-Isolation in Beijing

Yesterday (March 8), I met with a close friend who’s working for the World Health Organization for a Women’s Day dinner celebration. Yes, getting out now is possible because things are slowly getting back to normal in Beijing.

I got stuffed with so much Mexican grub and coconut margarita that I ended up hailing a Didi (taxi). I have heard of drivers sealing the middle of the car with a sheet of plastic, hopefully, to prevent the spread of the virus. But this taxi had a cute doodle that said words of encouragement for the Chinese riders:

Now things are getting more interesting. Today (March 9) marks my seventh week of staying at home (around 35 non-consecutive days because I need to restock my supplies) and the fifth week of doing remote work. Beijing is getting back to normal with many migrant workers returning and establishments opening again.

Had it not been for books/magazines and streaming sites, I would have gone insane. In Week 2 of being holed up, I already felt the difference–so intense that I had questioned myself why I stayed in Beijing when I could have gone home for CNY.

The cases, then, kept on increasing. As a news junkie, I felt I needed to keep abreast of the outbreak development in a place where many bits of info are withheld. But I realized that was so distressing and counter-productive to the point that I almost broke down. I live on my own in this megacity and yes I do have friends here but I’d rather not bug them since all of us face the same thing.

Now, why am I saying all of this? The outbreak has gone out of control. Just 3 weeks ago, I had planned to go to South Korea for a short breather. Now, it has the second most number of cases. I cannot go to Japan either. Or elsewhere in Asia. And now, I see social media posts of school cancellations or lockdowns–essentially most of the things China has done at the onset of the outbreak. At least in Beijing, or in the small part of the business district where I live, I have not seen any panic buying. People remain at home and follow sanitation and hygiene orders. I am doing the same. And I’ve lived on to Week 7–and life is getting back to normal. I hope so.

But it still seems that normalcy is still out of reach, given that the situation elsewhere is getting worse. I have received info that authorities are asking China-bound expatriates to remain where they are out of concerns about the importation of the virus. If this continues, the new normal in China may extend until, my educated guess, May, or worse, June.

Amid all of this, it is hard to maintain a sense of sanity. I have exhausted my eyes from watching Korean series and films and have devoured so many books because the outbreak seemingly impaired my mental and emotional disposition. And this is despite doing a 30-day workout at home challenge (I’m doing my next cycle) to recalibrate myself. I wanted to blog my experiences but the outbreak is just so crippling. Cabin fever is real and it has suppressed my creativity.

I couldn’t help but get fazed by the panic on social media. I do not dare to go into much detail or the science of the virus because everyone knows about that already. There’s the fear of the unknown, and there are undue comparisons between Covid-19 and other flu types. And many people cannot think beyond and resort to mudslinging (is there anything new about that?), ego-tripping, petty power play, and all that kind of BS. Some people are excited about the thought of doing remote work or having class suspensions. Wait till you get to Week 2. Or Week 5. Or Week 7.

It is just so draining that I thank the tweet clips of animal rescues, dogs, Tekken plays, and all happy stuff. Besides these, the leader of my current workplace has said that the outbreak situation is a time for reflection — I completely agree with him. I have had a lot of thinking recently. This “unwanted” yet “bonus” time has come unexpectedly and I want to make the most out of it. I have restarted an online class, reverted to my workout, and returned to cooking. I even try to “dream” of the angles for the stories I write for work to make them more useful to the readers.

At a time of unsettling uncertainty, the need to calm down rings truer than ever. We need to come to our senses. It is refreshing and rejuvenating.

What I’m most concerned about, however, is the outbreak dragging into autumn and winter 2020 because that will spell outright disaster. Q1 2020 alone has been devastating, in China in particular. Still, I feel blessed that I have work and can carry on with my life, though limited it may be. There’s a lot of people elsewhere who have lost so many things because of the outbreak. My thoughts are with them, and I hope that in the articles I have written, I have done my small part of telling the world that we can say “jiayou” (get on) and survive this crisis.

I wanted to publish this note on Facebook, but I thought it is better added here:
I used to watch the number of cases grow but it is so distressing. To my friends, I understand you want to keep safe. But I think it’s better to remain level-headed. Instead of reposting news about the outbreak (of course, you want to alert your family and that is acceptable), focus on staying healthy and following hygiene measures.

Of course, it’s your social media account and you can post whatever you want. But do me a favor: spread positivity and hope. Our world needs more of that now.