The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to spread in Europe in recent days.
Geneva, March 3 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization said on the 3rd that as of 10:00 Central European Time on the 3rd (17:00 Beijing time on the 3rd), the data reported by various countries showed that the number of confirmed cases of new crown pneumonia reported in other parts of the world outside China reached 10,566, which was the first time to exceed 10,000 cases.
In Europe, the recent spread of the epidemic in Italy has intensified significantly, as of 00:00 local time on the 4th, the number of confirmed cases of new crown pneumonia virus in Italy has increased to 2546; France is still the second most serious country in Europe, second only to Italy, with more than 200 confirmed cases on the evening of the 3rd local time, increasing to 212 cases; the latest data released by the Robert Koch Institute of German disease prevention and control shows that as of 10:00 a.m. local time on March 3, a total of 188 cases of new crown pneumonia infection were confirmed in Germany.
During the outbreak of the epidemic in China, Chinese students in Europe were worried about their relatives and friends at home, and they also did some volunteer work within their ability to fight the epidemic at home.
And when the COVID-19 pandemic spreads in Europe, they have also experienced complex mental processes such as worry, loneliness and emotion.
"Almost all the pharmacies where masks can be bought are sold out." "Now it's safer at home than abroad." "There is discrimination and warmth overseas, and people's hearts are seen under the epidemic." Several Chinese students in Europe said in an interview with the www.thepaper.cn.
A pharmacy in Oslo, Norway, suggested that masks were snapped up. The images in this article are provided by the interviewees
People who once donated masks are now the people who are most short of masks
When the outbreak broke out in China, many European students received help from relatives and friends at home.
At the beginning of the outbreak, there was an extreme shortage of masks in China, and relatives and friends of international students in China asked them to buy masks at local pharmacies and send them back to China.
Today, masks are out of stock in Europe.
Many European pharmacies have also posted Chinese logos "no masks" or "masks sold out" at the door. "I bought two boxes of masks and mailed them back to China, the local pharmacies in Oslo, Norway, did not buy masks much, and in the early days of the outbreak in China, pharmacies that could buy masks were basically sold out." Earlier, Liang Zi, a graduate student at the University of Oslo in Norway, ran all the pharmacies in Oslo and bought two boxes of masks for relatives and friends in China.
During the purchase process, she even encountered malicious price increases, which ended in high freight rates that cost almost the same price as masks. And now that the epidemic has broken out in Europe, she can't buy a box of masks.
"I'm in danger of myself right now." Liang Zi was helpless.
Many European students have found that masks are now difficult to buy throughout Europe after asking each other for help.
A number of Chinese students in Italy, France, Norway and Germany have told the surging news that it is difficult to find the traces of masks in physical pharmacies, and many online stores are out of stock.
In Italy, the epicenter of the outbreak, the price of masks has soared hundreds of times. Reuters quoted a Milan prosecutor as saying that in Lombardy, the online price of an ordinary mask has even risen from 1 euro to 10 euros, and the police have to intervene in the investigation.
Chen Qiushi, a Chinese student studying in Rome, Italy, said, "I asked my classmates studying in other countries to help me buy masks and asked for a circle, as if the masks in all of Europe had been emptied." ”
The perception of wearing medical masks in foreign countries is very different from that in China
It is worth noting that as to whether ordinary people need to wear masks, the advice given by the official epidemic prevention manuals issued by the italian, French, German, British and other governments is basically similar: no.
According to the China Youth Network, the Italian Ministry of Health, citing WHO, recommends that only those who may have had contact with the patient, those who have symptoms such as coughing and sneezing, those who are caring for suspected or confirmed patients, and the medical workers in hospitals wear masks. In addition, in the red-affected areas of northern Italy – romagna, Lombardy and Veneto – people should wear masks. The German Ministry of Health pointed out that it is meaningless for ordinary people to wear masks and that more attention should be paid to personal hygiene. Wearing a mask creates the illusion of a sense of security, which ignores other hygiene measures.
In addition, according to a number of Chinese students studying in Europe interviewed by the surging news, the perception of wearing medical masks abroad is very different from that at home.
"Here, if a person goes out wearing a medical mask, it means that he is a critically ill or a patient with a contagious disease. In the public health concept they have cultivated, if they suffer from such a serious disease, they should consciously isolate themselves at home and should not run to public places, which is a very irresponsible behavior. Chen Qiushi said.
According to Chen Qiushi, Rome is very close to Milan, where the epidemic is most severe, but she and the international students around her have not chosen to wear masks every day, but try to go out as little as possible and protect themselves at home.
"Wearing a mask really attracts the eyes of others, and we are all embarrassed to wear it." Originally, there were some acts of discrimination against Chinese people in Europe because of the virus, and we did not want to deepen such a misunderstanding. Chen Qiushi said helplessly.
Chinese students called for "free embrace" on the streets of Paris.
Yang Chen, another student exchanged at the University of Oslo in Norway, made a metaphor to reporters, "So, wearing a mask here is like putting on a stocking in China and going out on your head." ”
According to Yang Chen, in addition to wearing masks, European students have no practical measures to protect themselves, and the only thing they can do is to go to places with fewer people. After the university of Oslo in Norway had four confirmed cases in Norway, it proposed some precautions in warning emails sent to students, reminding students to cough and sneeze to avoid others, wash their hands frequently, and so on.
"Feeling anxious for them, as if they are back in the early days of the outbreak in China"
Due to the geographical distance, information asymmetry and other factors, Chinese students reflect that European residents are generally unaware of the seriousness of the epidemic.
As early as January 31, Italy was on emergency alert, but it was not until the mass increase in the number of confirmed cases in Milan that a series of large-scale events began to be cancelled.
Affected by the epidemic, Italy stopped hosting the annual Venice Carnival and blocked some landmark buildings, including the Duomo of Milan. Serie A has also decided to postpone two games. In addition, Lombardy has decided to cancel various public events, postpone the opening of schools, and close public places such as museums. The European Union announced on February 24 that it has no plans to cancel all kinds of travel in Italy's open border, the EU's Schengen Area. But the European Union said it had monitored the outbreak throughout the day and allocated 232 million euros to prevent and control the epidemic.
"They didn't look worried at all, and after the government's emergency alert, many people complained, thinking that it would not be so, and the government made a big fuss." Wang Yuxuan, a Chinese student exchanged at the First University of Rome in Italy, said.
Liu Bo, who has just returned to France from Italy, expressed his dissatisfaction with the protective measures at the French airport, "No one checked the body temperature, the disinfectant water was not sprayed, France has confirmed so many people, and I, who returned from Italy, have not been examined." ”
Liu Bo voluntarily reported that he had just returned from Italy after returning to school, and the school originally decided to let him isolate himself at home for two weeks, but the subsequent school email canceled this decision.
"I was really anxious and they didn't seem to realize how serious this was. Remembering that in the early days of the outbreak of the epidemic in China, my parents and some elderly people at home did not feel too serious, and I frantically gave them science popularization and forwarding on WeChat every day, hoping to make them pay attention to it. I didn't expect that now the domestic epidemic situation is under control, and foreign countries still don't pay attention to it, and there is really a feeling of yesterday's recurrence. Liu Bo said.
Trapped in Europe, he traveled many times back to China
Peng Wenzhe, who also exchanged semesters at the University of Rome I in Italy, had originally decided to return home in early February, and his visa was due to expire at the end of February.
But after the outbreak of the epidemic, many european countries cancelled direct flights to China, and his original tickets were cancelled, and he had to stay in Italy.
A month later, seeing that the visa is about to expire and the epidemic in Italy is getting more and more serious, Peng Wenzhe is caught in a dilemma: on the one hand, staying in Italy may face the risk of illegal residence, and the spread of the epidemic in Italy is not optimistic; on the other hand, the traffic is blocked, and it is very difficult to return to China.
"My mother saw that the number of confirmed cases and deaths in Italy was increasing, and I didn't have any protective measures here, so she asked me to hurry back to china." Peng Wenzhe did not want his mother to worry too much, so he began to look for other ways to return to China.
Finally, on February 25, he took the train to France, stayed in France for two days, and finally flew back home from France on February 27.
"Although it was a twist and turn, fortunately I arrived home safely, and I can be regarded as a 'person on the road'." Peng Wenzhe laughed at himself.
During the epidemic, it is more warm to witness
Since the large-scale outbreak of the epidemic in China, Liang Zi, who is currently a graduate student at the University of Oslo in Norway, has received greetings from many friends around her.
Everyone asked her relatives and friends in China if she was safe, and cheered her up, including foreigners she knew during her studies.
Once, Liang Zi met a Norwegian grandfather on the subway in Oslo, Norway, and the old man smiled kindly and asked her which country she came from, and after hearing that she was from China, the old man asked with concern whether the epidemic had affected her family. Liang Zi told the old man that everyone was unharmed, and the old man said to her: "China is experiencing a very difficult situation now, but we all believe that this will be overcome, bless you!" ”
Chen Qiushi was in Italy during this time, and her mobile phone messages were also filled with the concern and advice of relatives and friends.
On February 29, the Italian health department announced that 1,694 cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in the country, an increase of 50% in the last 24 hours alone. As of 18:00 local time on March 2, the total number of confirmed cases in Italy reached 2,036, making it the most serious country in Europe with the new crown pneumonia epidemic.
At that time, due to the time difference, relatives and friends in China had learned that the situation in Italy was not optimistic before she woke up, so they came to inquire about her situation: "Be sure to wear a mask and pay attention to precautions!" "Are you okay, are the protective measures in place?"
There are also Chen Qiushi's good friends in China who told her that the epidemic situation in her place is not very serious, and the masks that are hoarded can be sent to Italy.
"This is how I really feel the meaning of seeing the truth in afflictions!" Speaking of these, Chen Qiushi was somewhat moved.
What also warmed her was that some foreign friends expressed their admiration for China after hearing about the various measures China had taken during the anti-epidemic period.
When Ms. Chen mentioned that Wuhan had built two well-equipped hospitals in just a few days, her French roommate Paula said it was "unbelievable." Chen Qiushi still remembers Paula's exclamation after seeing the photos of the two hospitals in Wuhan Vulcan Mountain and Leishen Mountain: "China is a country with great determination and perseverance, I believe you can definitely defeat the virus!" ”