Close to COVID-19 experience

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, it has become the focus of global attention, but for most people in non-epidemic areas, although the epidemic is terrible, it is still safe around them. In our eyes, the pandemic situation is a constantly refreshing number, we are worry about it buy noting can be done.

Is COVID-19 pandemic really far from us? Ms.Zhang, she is really close to it during her return to China.

Ms.Zhang was born in Chongqing and work in Cambodia for a long term. 30 March, due to the adjustment of her work, Ms.Zhang booked a ticket of CZ324 plane, and became one of the return force member to China .

It is not wise to go back to China recently, numerous scheduled flight were canceled, ticket price are soaring, more time needed to transfer flight, annoying isolation. It is risky to go back China with potential virus carrier in one plane.

Before go back to China, Ms.Zhang have to make herself calm down, and she reported to China embassy in Cambodia and Chongqing community she lived,

On the 30th, Ms.Zhang arrived at Phnom Penh International Airport at about 6 o'clock am. The hall was not overcrowded as shown on social media, but was rather deserted, perhaps due to the cancellation of large-scale flights.

                               Phnom Penh airport

In order to ensure the safety of the return trip, Ms.Zhang dared not communicate with other passengers from the time she boarded until step on the land of Guangzhou. After entering China, the inspection procedures were cumbersome. She had to line up for different procedures for a whole day, she do not dare to drink or eat, or talk to anyone casually. Someone coughing around her made her even more uneasy.

                              Guangzhou airport

After a series of waiting and testing, Ms.Zhang entered a Guangzhou hotel for a 14-day quarantine. However, on the third day, it was reported online that passengers on flight CZ324 had been diagnosed COVID-19.

27 March, the male patient took QR20 flight from Dublin, Ireland to Doha, Qatar transfer QR970 arrived Phnom Penh at 28 March. Then he took CZ324 flight to Guangzhou Baiyun International airport at 30 March. He was sent to isolation place and tested.

Since his test results had not come out yet, Ms.Zhang was in a difficult position, desperately thinking about who was abnormal on the same plane and whether she had contact.  "I was really panicked. You know the most feared thing sometimes could happen to ourselves." On the evening of April 1st, Ms.Zhang received a call from the staff of the testing agency and informed that the test result of her was negative, but it also confirmed that the passengers on the same plane did have a confirmed case. And the direct contacts had been transfer to isolation. On April 2, Guangzhou released details of the confirmed case of flight CZ324.

Earlier, Ms.Zhang like most of people felt that the COVID-19 was far away from her, at least not there are no confirmed case around her. The experience of returning China this time was not good, but it also made her feel afraid for a while.

Imported cases from Cambodia have increased significantly, return to China or not became a hot topic.

The global pandemic has intensified and the situation in Cambodia has become increasingly uncertain. Due to the strict prevention and control of pandemics in China, the awareness of pandemic prevention among Chinese enterprises in Cambodia is much higher than that of local enterprises. Ms.Zhang ’s company has already arranged employees to work from home and distributed masks for everyone. However, the number of confirmed cases in Cambodia continues to rise. Out of consideration for pandemic prevention and medical conditions, many Chinese in Cambodia still want to return home as soon as possible.

After Europe and the United States became the severe hit areas, a large number of overseas Chinese returned to China, leading to a large increase in imported cases. The country has just experienced a severe pandemic, and the price paid is self-evident. The surge in imported cases has brought new uncertainty to the domestic epidemic situation. Therefore, China has also adopted certain immigration measures. International flights are reduced, and immigration testing and isolation as standard.

Recently, more than 20 confirmed cases have return China from Cambodia. This is not good news. Why are there so many cases of infection in Cambodia?

As of April 9th, there were 118 confirmed cases in Cambodia. The pandemic situation is not serious from a numerical point of view. However, due to the weak medical ability, the medical conditions are not good, the detection capacity is limited, and the number of people who can be tested is very small. This is one of the reasons for the small number of confirmed cases. About potential carrier, they usually confirmed after return China.

Secondly, due to the intensification of the global pandemic, especially in Europe and the United States has become severe hit area. China has reduced international flights, many people choose to transfer from Cambodia to return home, Phnom Penh Airport has become a transit station, and there are a large number of infected people in the transit population, leading to an increase in the number of imported cases. Like Ms.Zhang ’s flight CZ324 has many passengers who return from UK.

Staying abroad is not safe, and returning China is also an adventure. In special times, if you really want to return to your country, please make sure to report in advance and take your own protective measures. Do not worry if you can not return to your country, protect yourself well, go out as less as you can, and isolate yourself as much as possible.