Combating the Epidemic Outbreak in Unity
---Touching Stories of Wuhan People Working Shoulder to Shoulder

He Guanghua,Zhang Zhifeng,Fu Wen,Cheng Yuanzhou,and Fan Haotian,Xian, People's Daily

The COVID-19 outbreak was suddenly erupting. In this battlefield, where there is no smoke of gunpowder, Wuhan people help each other and work shoulder to shoulder in unity.Many touching stories are examples in this city where the novel conoravirus outbreak is the target of the campaign.

Introduction

The COVID-19 outbreak was bursting all of sudden.

Extraordinary acts are taken to stop the unprecedented epidemic. The COVID-19 outbreak prevention and control headquarters of Wuhan city issued a Notice No. 1 at 2 o'clock in the morning of January 23rd, 29thof the last month of China’s lunar year, providing that the city-wide public transport, subway,ferry transport and long-distance passenger transport were suspended beginning with 10 o'clock on January 23rd, citizens should not leave Wuhan with no particular reason; the airport and train stations are temporarily closed in Wuhan.

Before the exit closure, Wuhan, used to be the "hub for nine provinces", has witnessed bustling for more than 9 million people, whose daily life has suddenly changed. In this battlefield, where there is no smoke of gunpowder, Wuhan people help each other hand in hand. Many touching stories have emerged in this city.

On the eve of the lunar new year, a volunteer service team was set up and thousands of medical staff have been transferred free of charge.On the second day of the first month of the lunar new year,a group of migrant workers arrived at the construction site of Leishenshan hospital,working very hard day and night. On the third day of the first month,many citizens sang "I and My Motherland" and shouted"come on,Wuhan!Wuhan,come on!"

On the fourth day of the first month of the lunar new year, Guo Qin, a nurse of Zhongnan Hospital Emergency Center of Wuhan University, returned to work after recovering from the virus infection … People are the source of our strength.Pulling together in times of trouble, Just as CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes, under the firm leadership of the CPC, having brought to full play the advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, firmly relied on the masses,strengthened confidence, shared the same boat,scientifically prevented and treated, and implemented the strategy accurately, we have full confidence and ability to win the battle against the epidemic outbreak.

This is our home, we guard our homeland together! Despite the difficulties of one kind or another, the people of Wuhan are working together to combat the epidemic.

On the morning of February 2,workers were laying underground pipes in Wuhan Huoshenshan hospital.On that day,the hospital officially delivered.(Photo by People's Daily reporter Zhang Wujun)

Choosing to stay home

"If you don't go out, you help to cut off the channels of infection, that is a contribution to the fight against the epidemic outbreak in Wuhan."

At 2 o'clock on the morning of January 23,the news of "the temporary closing of all Wuhan exits" appeared on the mobile phone,which made Liu An, a Wuhan citizen, a little confused. "The first reaction was a blank in his mind.". Leave or stay? Liu An tossed and turned,sleepless all night.

At daybreak, he discussed with his wife, "if we leave Wuhan, the risk may be smaller."But "the airport and the railway station are closed. It takes more than ten hours to drive to our sister's house, our parents are very old.How can they stand the trouble?" The wife is full of misgivings.

"Then, we just stay in Wuhan, let's stay."Liu An's father interrupted while the couple were discussing, "there is no lack of daily necessities at home. I've prepared some. We don't need to go out shopping in a few days.""Then we don't leave." Liu An said so, but a mind was always absent, "hopefully, nothing happens."

There are about 9 million people stayed in Wuhan,such as Liu An.

Zhang Qiang,who lives in Jiang'an District,originally planned to take family members abroad for tourism. "The air tickets and hotels are all refunded." After a while, she hurriedly went out with her husband to shop daily necessities. There are a lot of people in the supermarket,almost everyone is wearing masks,many people don't look at the price and put the vegetables in the basket.

Having heard that the next district had a confirmed case, Zhang Qiang showed high vigilance. Back to the community, the couple didn't enter the flat directly, but first sprayed each other with alcohol to sterilize, and then spent over ten minutes in the garage.

On New Year's Eve of the Chinese lunar new year, Liu An and Zhang Qiang had almost the same dinner.

"I didn't cook a few dishes, so I had a simple dinner ate and went to sleep." Liu said that on the previous New Year's Eve, his mother would make a big table and his father,who was not a drinker, but would take a few drinks.

On that night,Zhang Qiang and her family discussed the response to the epidemic outbreak and their life. Having reached a consensus: stay home and do not go out.After the new year's Eve dinner, the whole family gathered around the TV to watch the Spring Festival Gala. "Love is a bridge" recited by several CCTV hosts made our whole family cry,"Zhang Qiang said

On the first day of the first month, Liu An slept until nearly noon.At this time in the past,the family member should visit each other to celebrate the new year, go shopping on the beach, and grab red envelopes on the mobile phones. Now they can only nest at home. "Not going out is to cut off the infectious channels,that is a contribution to the fight against the epidemic outbreak in Wuhan,"Liu An said

Retrograde man

"Without the hard work of medical staff,there is no common people's health safety.I am only able to deliver you some food."

On Thursday, 23 January. Dong Zongqi, a respiratory physician at Wuhan children Hospital, drove the electric wheelchair and went to the outpatient department to work as usual.Although he is 86 years old, he is still in the outpatient department for the morning half a day on the Thursdays. In order to prevent children from waiting for a long time, Dong Zongqi arrived at the clinic before 8 o'clock.

"Director Dong, the kid has been coughing these few days. It's not good to take medicine."The kid has a chronic cough. She has been seeing doctor Dong before. Grandma Zhang,who accompanies her, is worried. "It's quite cold these days. The kid is suffering from cold again.She has been coughing for several days."

"Nothing serious, just a common cold.Don't get panic." Dong Zongqi straightened his back and look at the film to explain to grandma Zhang.

On the occasion of the epidemic outbreak,Dong Zongqi is fully armed with masks,headgear and goggles. Dong Zongqi has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Wearing a mask for a long time will make him feel very uncomfortable. The protective clothing is disposable.You need to change it in the last toilet. In order to save professional protective materials, Dong Zongqi and his colleagues drink little water.

Dong Zongqi was busy until 12 o'clock at noon, and finally completed all 26 appointments of patients.This was a long relief.During the emergency period, his family members advised him to stop working. Dong Zongqi said, "Are you all afraid of anything?I'm a doctor and a party member. If I am not working,who should?"

Dong Zongqi's family is close to the hospital, but many more medical staff are not.The city's public transportation has been suspended, and the travel of a large number of medical staff has become a problem.

On the eve of the lunar new year, Zhao Yang, a citizen of Wuhan, thought about what to do to help prevent and control the epidemic,so he sent a wechat circle of friends: "I live near Houhu lake, Jiangan District, and friends in need of nearby hospitals can be picked up on the way."

This message is seen by a nurse in Houhu District of Wuhan Central Hospital, who pulled Zhao Yang into a wechat group of her hospital.On New Year's Eve, many people were still at home watching the Spring Festival Gala, Zhao Yang had already run three trips and took three nurses home.

Soon, more and more medical staff who need transport means are added to wechat group, and the scope is no longer limited to Houhu area. Although a few friends joined the pick-up team, they were far from meeting the demand for transport. Busy, Zhao Yang sent a second circle of friends message: "Are there volunteers ready to serve as shuttle-car between home and hospitals for the medical staff in the anti-epidemic front line?"

To his surprise, in less than 10 hours, there were thousand participants.From the beginning,wechat group can only pick up over 50 medical staff from one hospital, soon expanded to a number of wechat groups serving hospitals in Hankou, Wuchang and Hanyang. In order to ensure car owners’ rest, there are also volunteers in the group who are specially helping to take request for vehicles.

Zhao Yang said that he was very tired these days, but very happy. Although many of them have never met each other, they have become good brothers in fighting side by side due to the prevention and control of the epidemic outbreak. "Our team has a name. It's Wuhan Busong.I want to say to the doctors and nurses,you protect us,and we will protect you."

Since new year's Eve, many medical teams across the country have rushed to Wuhan.

In the evening of January 27, Qin Da'an, a vegetable farmer in the East and West Lake area, rode an electric tricycle full of cabbage and green onions and finally arrived at the residence of the national medical team of traditional Chinese medicine, the Shanghai medical rescue team and the medical rescue team of the Army Medical University.

After seeing the medical experts from other places supporting Wuhan on TV, Qin Da'an picked a bunch of vegetables from his vegetable garden and bought some from fellow villagers who planted vegetables, and went to deliver them alone. Because he was not familiar with the road and could not use the mobile navigation, it took him more than 3 hours to get there for just more than 40 kilometers.

When unloading, Wang Kai, a hotel staff member, noticed that Qin Da'an's left hand had almost no fingers. "It was an accident when I was working. The doctor kept my arm." Qin Da'an said that since then, he has always paid special respect to doctors. "Without the hard work of doctors, there would be no health safety for the common people. My capacity is only deliver you some vegetables."

"Mr.Qin left after unloading the vegetables.We gave him the money for the vegetables. He said he would not accept anything." Wang Kai said that on the fifth day of the first month,Qin Da'an sent another cart of green vegetables,which weighed more than 1000 kg.

Ordinary people like Qin Da’an are competing to do extraordinary things at this moment.

On January 25, the first day of the first month of the Chinese lunar new year, Wuhan decided to build Leishenshan hospital. After receiving the task, Ge Tiancai, chairman of Wanzhong Construction Labor Service Co.,Ltd., immediately released the information in the working group: workers are needed to rush to build the hospital, and all project managers contact the worker teams. Because of the fear that he could not get building workers, Ge Tiancai also stressed that there is no IOY!

"We sign up and our management can work on the construction site." "I can call six skilled workers and two non-skilled workers. Where can we meet? What time to leave? " I didn't expect to hear all that!

At 1 p.m.the next day,60 workers gathered.At about 4 p.m., these men arrived at the construction site of Leishenshan hospital.

As soon as they put down their luggages,the workers began to clean up the site. "Our task is to covey the former canteen of Wuhan military games village into patient wards with two floors up and down," said Liu Jianhua, 47,has been working in the company for 12 years.That night, he and the fellow men worked until two o'clock in the morning. "We have nothing other than our strength,but it's an honor to have the strength to do something for Wuhan to stop the epidemic outbreak. I hope Wuhan can get through the difficulties earlier! " Liu Jianhua said. Ge Tiancai also told reporters that these days, everyone is working very hard day and night, but no worker cared about how much he was paid.

Fighting spirit is strong

"I am a medical worker and a party member,It's time to be on the front line."

Thinking of her colleagues infected with the novel coronavirus, Aunt Zhang in Qiaokou District is still frightened.

"Lao Zhang, I am a little dizzy and vomiting. Can you help me to the hospital?"Before the Spring Festival, a colleague asked Aunt Zhang for help. She was very warm-hearted and sent her colleague to the Union Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science And Technology without much thought. She was kept busy until 3 p.m.

She received a phone call from the colleague a few days latter, saying that she had been admitted to Jinyintan hospital as a confirmed virus case. Auntie Zhang and her husband were very flustered, and "worried whether themselves are infected".

On the second day of the first month, the community officers came to take Auntie Zhang's body temperature, and brought protective masks and epidemic prevention brochures, telling her to stay at home and quarantined. Community grid members call every day to inquire about the situation and meet the needs of life in a timely manner.After 14 days of quarantined, Aunt Zhang was in good health.

Guo Wei,deputy chief physician of infection department of Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology,putting on goggles before visiting patients.(Photo by Tong Xuan,people's vision)

Zhou Ning, deputy chief physician of the Department of Cardiology, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, was one of the first medical staff infected by the conoravirus outbreak.

On January 17, Zhou Ning received a patient with cardiogenic shock symptoms. At the time of admission, the patient's temperature was normal and there was no cough symptom.Zhou Ning naturally did not pay much attention.

Later,he learned that the patient had a fever before he was admitted to the hospital and had been to the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan.Zhou Ning immediately cancelled the de-hospitalization proposal, and arranged for lung CT examination again, but no clear evidence of virus pneumonia was found.

However, Zhou Ning soon developed dizziness and fatigue.After returning home, he began feeling sick and diarrhea, with a high fever of 38.9 degrees.He was diagnosed clinically as a case of the virus infection with symptoms and close contact history under consideration. Respiratory colleagues suggest him for home quarantine and taking antiviral drugs for observation for a period of time.

"My colleagues are fighting on the front line, but I can only stare at them." Zhou Ning completely quarantined himself, even sleeping with a mask. On New Year's Eve, he sat at the dinner table wearing a double mask, and keeping a distance of more than one meter to accompany his parents for the new year's dinner."Now the symptoms are gone and my temperature is normal. As long as I pass the quarantine period, I will go back to the front line of epidemic prevention."

Guo Qin, a nurse, has returned to work in the emergency center of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University.

On February 2, the medical imaging technologist of Central South Hospital of Wuhan University examined the patients.(Photo by Gao Xiang,Xinhua News Agency)

On January 13th, Guo Qin was diagnosed as the virus pneumonia case. "I was scared because I didn't know what the consequences would be." Guo Qin said frankly that from the nurse who took care of the patients to being taken care of by colleagues in the quarantined ward, she was extremely worried. She stayed up all night on the first night of hospitalization,"listening to the continuous alarm sound of the monitor in the ward and the rapid footsteps of colleagues,he kept thinking."

After 3 days of treatment, Guo Qin became better and returned to his residence quarantined for oral drug treatment. After 14 days, the two viral nucleic acid tests were negative, Guo Qin recovered.

To the surprise of her family and colleagues,Guo Qin asked to report to her post on the first day after her recovery. The head nurse ordered her to take a few more days off, and she only said lightly, "I can't sit down when I see my colleagues fighting the epidemic so hard day and night!"

Her 11-year-old son worried about his mother's safety,cried when he was on the video link with her, and her family tried to persuade her, but the family couldn't resist Guo Qin's"determination", "I am a medical staff and a Party member, so I should be on the front line at this time."

Offering help hand and in hand

"Let's load the meals earlier possible, so that patients can have it earlier; "Give me your hand, we can cross it." A song called "Wuhan Kid" has been sung and many people had tears in their eyes after hearing the song in Wuhan.It also makes more people know how to help each other hand in hand, and more and more warm love flows together.

"I have cared for the confirmed virus case patients, and I am in quarantine, and have not been home for 5 days. The frozen milk left for my baby is finished and the little guy is not used to milk powder. Does anyone have extra frozen milk?" On January 26, Zheng Qian, a nurse in the community health service center of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, sent a help message in the wechat group of the community.

"I have a lot of milk here." "We live close,come to me!" Soon, nearly 70 young mothers responded in the wechat group, and listed a schedule of milk delivery,so that Zheng Qian's family could pick up milk at a designated place every day. "Thank you all so much for your help. I have no worries any more." Zheng Qian said, "in the future, we must tell our baby that he has many loving mothers!"

In the forefront, tens of thousands of"Zheng Qian" are fighting against the virus; in the rear, countless "Zheng Qian" are holding their posts. We are working together in unity and moving forward hand in hand.

"Shua - Shua -" on January 23, Luogui street before dawn was desolate without much life. A small orange figure was waving the broom vigorously.Li Lanping,an environmental sanitation worker, said that in the event of an epidemic, the sanitation work could not be stopped.She got up at 4 a.m.

Sweeping the road and cleaning the dustbin,Li Lanping was busy until 8 a.m.as she found a place good for rest for a while- eating unheated steamed bread and a few pickles as the breakfast. "This is a special period. This hardship is nothing to us at all."

After breakfast, Li Lanping got busy again.She slowly took out the garbage in the dustbin by hand and put it into the sanitation car,"keeping the environment clean, everyone will not get sick!"

Busy at work, front-line medical staff often are unable to eat hot meals.From the beginning of the first day of first month, three restaurants of Wuhan Danqingyan hotel have cooked hot dishes and meals with the stored ingredients,kept them warm and took them to the medical staff of the nearby hospitals. As soon as the news came out, some restaurants nearby donated ingredients, and some provided masks and protective clothing for meal delivery personnel. "We just want the medical staff to have a hot meal!" Chen Changming, a hotel manager,said that the number of hospitals they serve has increased to 15, with nearly 4000 meals delivered every day.

Shen Zilong, an employee of Danqingyan Hotel, can't forget that he went to Wuhan No.4 hospital to deliver the meals a few days ago,the doctors who took the meal stood across the road and motioned to him to put the meal in the distance, then shouted: "you should stay a little further,and stay away quickly."This scene was photographed and sent to wechat friends circle,which moved countless people.

As of February 2,more than 40 well-known catering enterprises in Wuhan have joined in the volunteer teams, trying to ensure medical staff not worry about their three meals.

On January 24th, the COVID-19 outbreak prevention and control headquarters in Wuhan issued No. 7 circular, calling for the implementation of the categorized system for medical treatment, so as to ensure timely treatment for the febrile patients. Each community is responsible for the comprehensive screening of fever patients under its jurisdiction, and taking them to the community medical and health service center to screen and categorize the health conditions, so as to avoid disordered flow of infected patients and reduce cross infection in the hospital.

On January 26, 3846 households in Fangcao community, Longyang neighborhood,Hanyang District completed a comprehensive screening."In the face of the epidemic outbreak,we should not get panic and keep scientific and orderly." Du Yun, Secretary of the neighborhood Party branch, said that the publicity teams,patrol teams and environmental health teams were set up already here to sterilize the community environment in an all-round way, clean up the untouched corners of the residential areas and disinfect the public places such as elevators.

Seeing that the neighborhood management has taken protective measures, the panic residents have greatly alleviated, and the work of community management entering homes has also unloaded their psychological burden, Du said the party members, volunteers and residents were mobilized to participate together,"it takes us just two days to go through all the residents homes."

On January 27,a fast delivery teams member helps to buy some ingredients in a supermarket in Wuhan,(Photo by Xiong Qi,Xinhua News Agency reporter)

For the 11 residents who were found to have fever, Du Yun called them one by one to calm them down,"they know that I used to be a doctor,and they trust me”.

There are also residents with doubts: for example, one shows some symptom of coughing and depression and asks if I be responsible for any problems? Du Yun asked details about the symptoms carefully and said,"don't worry about this situation for the moment.Take an observation for a little time.If you have a fever again,I promise to take you to the hospital."Two days later,the resident called Du Yun:I'm fine now.I don't cough or have no fever,thank you,secretary Du.

Pulling together in times of difficulties ,everyone is contributing

At 3:00 p.m. on January 28, Xiong Lei and Rao Qingsong, the rescue materials support emergency team of Jiangan district urban management and law enforcement office,received an urgent task and rushed to Wuhan Tianhe Airport to ship materials in shortage."We didn't know until we arrived. The original flight schedule was adjusted. The plane won't arrive until 9 p.m.",delayed for several hours,

At the peak of the supplies arrivals, the team members had to wait outside in the open.Tired, hungry and cold, but everyone encouraged each other: "At this time, it's the Wuhan people who show up!"

At 9 p.m., the plane finally landed. "Let us load the lorries faster, so the patients can use them earlier!" Under Xiong Lei's instruction,the team members said nothing and got atarted.

Carrying by the shoulder and hand, and working non-stop for a moment, until 1:00am in the morning, 13 tons of materials are loaded.In order to ensure that these "ammunition" can be taken to the "battlefield" in the first time,they sent materials to designated hospitals in batches.All work is over.It's nearly 3 a.m.

"Thank you medical staff! We are ready to serve you!Wuhan,come on!"This is a wechat friend circle message sent by a city management team members on his way home.

Wuhan,come on!