The restaurants are open, almost no one wears a mask. In the big city of Wuhan, in the center of China, where there was an epidemic of pneumonia raising fears of a resurgence of the deadly SARS virus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), life goes on as usual.
Tian, a tourist from the neighboring city of Jingzhou, a three-hour drive away, decided not to postpone his stay in Wuhan, despite his family’s concerns.
“I said, I should be fine, so I came,” said Tian. However, his face is covered with a protective mask, unlike many residents of the city.
On Sunday, the latter seemed as little as concerned as Mr. Tian about the appearance of the virus, of the same family as SARS, which had killed hundreds of people in mainland China and Hong Kong between 2002 and 2003.
So far, of the 41 patients diagnosed with this new type of coronavirus in Wuhan (11 million inhabitants), a 61-year-old man has died, Chinese health authorities announced on Saturday.
The epidemic occurred just before the country’s busiest annual travel period, the Lunar New Year holidays in late January, when tens of millions of people take the bus, train and plane.
No clear evidence of human-to-human transmission has been established, according to the Wuhan Health Commission.
– No protective equipment –
Sunday, the fish market, located in the city center, and where a large number of patients worked, remained closed, twelve days after its closure.
However, the many restaurants located in the same building were open and serving customers.
If, in Hong Kong, the announcement of the appearance of this virus caused a rush of residents in pharmacies to buy protective masks while scientists called on the population of the megalopolis to remain vigilant, on the streets of Wuhan this weekend, few people wore a mask.
Most of the guards posted around the market had no protective gear.
Only a group of security guards who entered the market were wearing a mask and a cap. They were instructed Sunday morning to wear this equipment at all times.
A guard stated that market traders were allowed to enter the establishment to check their stalls, accompanied by guards.
Chinese scientists recently explained that the previously unknown strain is a coronavirus, a family with a large number of viruses.
These can cause most often mild illnesses in humans ranging from a common cold to a more serious illness like SARS.
– Too early to conclude –
The Hong Kong Health Department said on Saturday that the genetic sequencing of the virus found in one of Wuhan’s patients indicated that it was 80% similar to the SARS found in bats.
However, they said it was too early to conclude that it is a strain of SARS.
On Sunday, outside of Wuhan hospital, where people with the virus are being treated, visitors were free to enter and exit the hospital grounds even though a security guard prevented the AFP filming patients moving between buildings, claiming it was a “sensitive” place
Two women, whose last names are Yan and Shu, who were allowed to leave the facility, said that hospital authorities had pressed on the night of Saturday to Sunday for as many patients as unaffected by the epidemic are coming home.
“Most of the building is empty,” said Shu, who believes more people will be sent to the hospital soon.
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