In front of one and a half years, Carina La Grange from the Hessian town of Wetzlar with her husband and their three children to Shanghai. Since August 2018, the family resided in the metropolis city of a detached house in a so-called Compound, a gated residential complex with leisure facilities and small super markets. While her husband taught at the German school in Shanghai as a special education teacher in the elementary and secondary education, taking care of Carina to the budget and the three-seven-nine-and 15-year-old children. However, since in January in China, the Coronavirus crisis broke out, the everyday life of the family still. With the star, the 37-Year-old about the Situation on the ground spoke.
When did you first hear of the Coronavirus?
So correctly perceived, we have the outbreak of the Virus at the end of January, shortly before the beginning of our Chinese-New-Year-holiday. Then it went with the security measures taken by the government to the other. The Mouth guard has a duty. All public Chinese-New-Year-events were cancelled. Parks and Restaurants were closed. The fever fairs at the entrances to Malls, cafes, and so on was introduced.
Carina La Grange, Wetzlar, Germany emigrated in August 2018, with her husband and their three children to Shanghai
How has your life changed since then?
We spend definitely more time at home or in our Compound and are very careful of our health. I would like to not that the kids are now sick and we need a doctor. So we are moving in the fresh air, eat healthy and drink a lot.
How is your everyday life?
Our everyday life are you currently really very limited. The largest part of the public facilities, Parks, Restaurants, and leisure facilities are closed and the streets are eerily empty. The school was closed after the Chinese New Year-a holiday first for 14 days and last week until probably the end of February. As a result, my husband and our children are at home for the Moment. This is a requirement by the government, and concerns all Chinese, as well as international kindergartens and schools. The children get from their teachers online week plans that you can work on at home. In the morning from 9 until about 13.30 Homeschooling is for us, therefore, now “” on the days plan. Mainly my husband works with our Small and two neighbor children, also in the second and fourth class. This works pretty well, and the fixed times to give the children structure. In the afternoon, will be played and read, we cook and bake with pleasure. Once a day there is a walk or a Bicycle tour where we could buy food. Boring we are not. I’m astonished, this is our mood so good. At night our Compound, from 0 to 6 o’clock is completely closed. During the day, he is also blocked for visitors and deliveries.
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But during the day you can move freely and also Bus or train travel?
Yes, we must, apart from the curfew at night, to move freely, but must be expected at any time in order for us to have a fever is measured. In every cafe, at the entrance of the Malls and access to our Compound. Our children also meet regularly in the afternoon, friends in the Compound. With other families we meet outside in cafes or make common Bicycle tours.
The Virus should be broken out in Wuhan. How far is that in about away from you?
Wuhan is located about 800 kilometres away from us. But we’ve never been there and know anyone who lives there or works.
Do you personally know someone who is infected?
No, we don’t know anyone that is suffering from the Coronavirus.
Where otherwise a brisk traffic, the streets are empty of people. Son of Leopold excited by it: “Here, Cycling is usually not possible,” commented Carina La Grange the photo.
In Germany, we get daily new reports of numerous Deaths and new Infected. How is that for you? You feel well informed?
The topic of the news here is always exciting. Until Monday afternoon, here, 909 Deceased have been reported. Basically, we want to track the international and German news, as the Chinese. We receive but on WeChat, the Chinese Alternative to WhatsApp, articles, and reports from the Chinese media which we can translate using Translator programs. In part, we feel informed us we tend, because information is being thrown on a that speak, unfortunately, very often. I mean, for example, the contradiction between the drastic security measures taken by the government and the statements that the Virus is not so aggressive. That of course makes us insecure and you think about whether the Numbers of the Infected and deceased are correct.
What measures do you take yourself to protect yourself?
For one, we move much less in the city and avoid the crowds. We carry in enclosed spaces, such as supermarket, Taxi, or Metro, a Mouth guard, wash our hands and disinfect.
Empty expenses: Currently, the super close markets in the evening a little earlier
Here, masks were sold out relatively quickly. How is it with you?
Due to the air pollution in Shanghai, each sufficient mouth actually has protection in the house. For protection against the Coronavirus masks with the N95 are the recommended Standard. These are sold out now. In the meantime, they were only made in limited quantities to individuals, or pharmacies have only sold a certain number of the day. So people stood in line in the morning in front of the pharmacy.
There is hoarding and panic in the population?
In the first week after the announcement of the Virus in Shanghai in any case. We did not know whether the super will have to close the markets at some point and have covers as a precautionary measure, with the basic food products. In the meantime, the Situation has eased but. The supermarkets close in the evening, a little earlier. Of a panic in the population, we have heard nothing.
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The size of your personal Concerns in relation to the Virus?
Our concern is not the Virus itself, or we can suffer, because we feel through the restricted radius of movement, and our precautionary measure in a legal manner. Currently here are ill in Shanghai is “only” about 300 people, with a population of 27 million. The only thoughts and our Worries are that we are limited in our life, more and more, and we are no longer able to move freely.
You have contact to other German and share about the disease?
Yes, we have a great Community and right now is doing it particularly well. We exchange ideas, talk about the latest news and spend a lot of time with our friends. However, many of our friends are still not back in Shanghai, when they were on holiday abroad, or are flown to Germany. Many flights were cancelled and families were rebooked on other flights.
In every cafe, at the entrance of the Malls, and here, at the entrance to the residence of the family of La Grange, you need to expect the inhabitants so that you have a fever is measured
Can you fly anywhere?
There are many countries that we can not fly to currently, especially in the Southeast Asian region as well as Australia and new Zealand. But basically, traveling is no Problem, as long as we wear the Mouth guard, which is now a Must.
In China, there are more and more Dead. In Germany, however, the Patients show little to no symptoms. Can you explain that?
No, unfortunately not. This contradiction is inexplicable. Maybe it is due to the population density and the clustering of Infected people in China, especially in Wuhan. Even among the Chinese there are many different theories, as well as in Germany, why here with so drastic measures will be traded. The disease, the Coronavirus was assessed after the emergence of the first cases, rather than harmless and information were held back.
How is the medical care?
At the Moment, all the specialist doctors have closed and even the international health are not the houses for us, freely accessible. I think I would first treat the time at home, we are really well equipped with drugs. It is also uncertain whether we will be treated in another medical case, in an international hospital. Currently, the medical care seems to be focused only on fever and viral diseases. Even the Foreign office points out. In the case of an infection with fever of the Chinese government is specified and must turn to which hospital is you.
Have you ever considered to leave the country?
Yes, and we consider on a daily basis, whether or not we should leave the country. But we are at home, feel safe and are supplied with everything. In that case, we will be flying, certainly for a time to Germany.