An Intern Recounts His Experience Working in Wuhan During the Pandemic｜CCP Virus | Coronavirus

Mr. Chang is a sophomore in Shandong Province. During the winter break, he was doing an internship in Wuhan. Unexpectedly, he was stuck in Wuhan during the outbreak. He recounted his temporary work experience while being a security guard during the lockdown. I worked in a service center that covers three apartment complexes and nearly 10,000 residents. There were 66 confirmed cases and 22 of them died of the coronavirus infection. The rest either left the hospital or stayed for further observation. Where did you stay and how was the living condition? We stayed in a hotel within the apartment complex arranged by the local government. The food was good at a price range of 100 yuan, $14.21 a day. The wage was 300 yuan, $42.63 a day. It's not much. In fact, the frontline security guard and checkpoint watchers were paid nearly 1,000 yuan, $142.13 a day. But after the commission to the agent, it leaves you with just 300 yuan a day. Were you wearing the police uniform? Yes, it's a police protective gear that comes with a bulletproof vest. I don't think it really works for bullets, but probably okay for stabbing. Were you given the baton and anti-riot steel fork? Yes, those are meant to deter. We can't use those to attack. It's only to deter. Was there any training? Yes, a police chief taught us how to use the steel fork, baton, shield, and pepper spray. You were fully equipped? Yes, we also learned some tactics to handle certain situations and how to control a suspect. We have no law enforcement power. We can only control them and then call and wait for the police. How many people were there in one shift? How many shifts a day? There are a total of 10 people in the security guard team. Each checkpoint would take six people, two from the fire department, two from our local team with protective gear, and two who normally work as guards at the state-run companies. Is it a 24-hour patrol? We have different shifts. I was on duty from 8 a.m. to 12 midnight. It's a 16-hour shift. Have you seen anything like those who died at home or anyone removed from their home? There was one when I was on duty. I remember an old man of about 90 years old. He lived by himself. His children could not reach him, and so we were contacted. The fire department personnel helped to break the door down. The old man was dead. He lived alone. Because of the outbreak, his children could not go back. We contacted the ambulance to take him away. Did it scare you? Were you afraid of contracting the virus? Frankly, I'm in my 20s, feeling that we are still young and have not hurt anyone with the virus at our age. We think that we are lucky and don't think much of it. The 10 of us were all young. We were all in our 20s. Were they all like you from foreign provinces and stuck in Wuhan? There were also Wuhan residents. Many elderly could not speak Mandarin Chinese. Five of the people in our team were also local residents. They could communicate better with the elderly in local dialects. To me, I had to guess half of what they said. Were you there for the internship? I'm a sophomore. A friend of mine in Wuhan was doing procurement for construction materials. I was free during the winter vacation. He asked me to go there to help out. I was there just seven days when the outbreak started. I thought it was just a flu and it should be gone in a few weeks. Who would have known it's very contagious? Everyone was ordered to wear a mask and the city was locked down. That's why I stayed and volunteered as a security guard. When did you finish your work? I worked from March 1st to March 22nd. Were you isolated afterwards? I had the rabbit test and was isolated for 14 days in a hotel. It's all free. It was said there was a very high paid job to move the dead body at 4,000 yuan, $568.77 an hour. To move the corpses? Well, one more thing. The official death toll, 3,000? In fact, it's far more than that. How many approximately? I can't tell you. I mean, I can't tell for sure because I didn't see it. Someone else told me that. How many then? Nearly 10,000. Who told you that? Someone in the team. What did he do? He had worked for the makeshift hospital before he joined our team. The makeshift hospital was for the mild patients. The Huzhenqian hospital was for the patients with severe symptoms. That's what they said.