10/29/2020, China, Beijing: Commuters look at their smartphones as they walk through a subway station in Beijing. A good year after the outbreak, the corona virus in China is as good as defeated. Even in the particularly affected metropolis of Wuhan, there is hardly any trace of the crisis.
© Mark Schiefelbein / dpa
The corona pandemic began in Wuhan around a year ago: While the rest of the world is still massively affected by Covid19 infections, the disease is no longer an issue in Wuhan. Why?
The interview was conducted by KATHRIN BRAUN
Wuhan – It all started in Wuhan: The first reports about Corona from China seemed very, very far away. Europe is now in the second wave – but how is it going in Wuhan? A call to Timo Balz, professor of remote sensing at the University of Wuhan. The man from Stuttgart has lived in the Chinese metropolis for more than twelve years.
Timo Balz from Stuttgart, professor for remote sensing at the University of Wuhan
© private
–
Mr. Balz, how is the corona situation in Wuhan?
Corona is actually no longer an issue here.
What do you mean?
The virus is no longer present in our everyday lives. It actually only affects entry and exit. But within the country we are back to normal: we can travel, there are no contact restrictions, the catering and retail trade have long been open again.
Also read: Eight more deaths reported in the region – “hard” lockdown in Austria since midnight
Distance is not an issue?
No, parties are celebrated here as normal and the clubs are also open. If there have been no cases for months, people can dance together again.
All of this sounds difficult to imagine for Germany. How did China do it?
Lockdown really means lockdown here – we were locked in the apartments for almost 80 days in the spring and weren’t allowed to step outside the door. Then Wuhan with all its eleven million inhabitants was tested – that was around mid-May. Those who were positive had to be quarantined again immediately. At some point there were no more cases.
Also read: Corona – from today tightened lockdown in Austria: What does this mean for Bavaria’s border areas?
Does that apply to all of China?
There have been a couple of cases recently in Kashgar. There, too, the city was closed and tested – and now the subject is through again. There were also cases at international airports, but that was hardly worrying – after all, everyone who lands in China has to be immediately quarantined anyway.
Does the Corona app play an important role in this?
I would say the app plays the smallest role. If we had cases, it would be very effective: If my app showed red, I would have been picked up a long time ago and I would be in quarantine again. But it doesn’t even get that far. I haven’t looked at the app for a long time. The severity of the measures brought us much more.
Did you see it that way during the lockdown too?
Yes, we just felt a lot safer in the apartments. Back then, nobody knew how dangerous the disease can be. Of course the isolation was very annoying towards the end. But we considered the measures to be the right one.
In Germany, Corona was and is often played down and compared to the flu. Why did you have such a great respect for the virus?
Right from the start, they spoke about Corona with a different rhetoric: We are at war against the virus and all measures are allowed in war, it said. A war that we can only get through together.
When we spoke on the phone in January, you actually sounded relaxed.
I was too. In the beginning we were only told to stay at home – my family and I still went out for a walk every day because we didn’t want to deprive our children of exercise and the fresh air. Then our neighbor had to be hospitalized for Covid-19. From then on we took it all much more seriously. I think the virus has to somehow get to you personally in order to be more careful.
Do you still think about Corona in everyday life?
Just because I read a lot of German news. It’s funny that Corona is still such a present topic, while the whole thing is already a thing of the past for us. But even here the thought sometimes arises that Corona could return.
Have traces of the pandemic fight remained in everyday life?
Yes, with our children, for example, the temperature is measured by a camera when they go to school. And we wear masks on public transport. But we’ve all got used to it, and it doesn’t bother anyone.
Do you feel the economic consequences?
Many restaurants and retailers have gone bankrupt. You can see it especially in the university area, the students were gone for more than half a year. But you also notice: the restaurants that survived the crisis are now all the more crowded. And the Wuhan operations have caught up with the lockdown – I think most will end the year with zero growth.
In Germany one speaks of catastrophic economic consequences. Politicians have admitted: You shouldn’t have shut everything down. Our lockdown was shorter and more relaxed. Shouldn’t China be much worse off?
If you quickly return to normal, it is good for the economy too. I see the “hammer and dance theory” (first drastic measures, then step-by-step opening, editor’s note) very critically, because the corona crisis is turning into a never-ending story. With a brief and very severe slump, Wuhan’s operations were able to recover much faster.
In your opinion, should Germany go into such a tough lockdown?
It should have been done earlier – before the virus spreads across the country. Then you have no more chance. You can’t lock up all cities. After all, you have to feed the whole population, that’s a lot of organizational effort and insane logistics. Besides, people have to want to participate.
That alone would probably fail in Germany.
Yes, it’s easier in East Asia. There are no mask opponent demos here.
–
What do you think when you read the German news?
Of course I shake my head. One should learn from East Asia in the west: implement strict measures and test a lot.
In your opinion, are we too insistent on our fundamental rights?
There is also a basic right to health. That’s more important to me at this time, and it’s not even because of my own health. I’ve always seen it the other way around, I’ve said: I don’t want to infect anyone. It would hit me hard if it turned out I was a super spreader. I think that when fighting a pandemic you should always behave as if you were already sick. But a lot of people have to participate. And if you at least put on masks and keep your distance, it helps a lot.
–
