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"Here, everyone is talking about the virus": between the ghost of SARS and online rumors, psychosis wins in China

2020-01-21T15:13:18.641Z


The country's pharmacies are under assault, while the authorities report six dead and hundreds of infected people.


In Dalian, rumors have been buzzing since Tuesday morning. In this seaside town in southeast China, a man from Wuhan was reportedly hospitalized for symptoms similar to pneumonia, before being transferred to Shenyang for emergency treatment.

"Apparently, he had almost 40 ° C of fever," breathes Mathieu. Everyone is talking about it here. Like the seven million inhabitants of this seaside town in the Gulf of Korea, this Chinese native, who has lived in France for fifteen years, is overcome by the concern that has been spreading in the country for several weeks.

A new human-transmitted virus appeared in late December in central Wuhan city. Six people have died since, and nearly 300 cases have been reported in China, but also in Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Thailand.

Coronavirus: mysterious virus born on a market worries China

"The information comes in drop by drop," worries Mathieu. So, while waiting to have more elements, the psychosis is running at full speed, fueled by disturbing rumors conveyed via instant messaging in vogue in China, like WeChat.

Mask shortages in pharmacies

"Most people wear masks on the street," he describes. Particularly vulnerable since leukemia which he was treated, he himself went to the pharmacy to get one, on the way to the gymnasium where he teaches badminton. Too late: the stock was already exhausted.

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Warned of these shortages by groups of French expatriates organized on social networks, Aude planned to buy hers directly in France. This 28-year-old Parisian takes the plane on Saturday to settle in Shanghai, where her companion landed an engineering job for three years. "Inevitably, this story of virus adds a little stress," she says.

In recent days, the young woman has received many calls and texts from concerned relatives. "The figures that are circulating are not really alarming," she tempers. Afterwards, it is difficult to know if China is completely transparent about the reality of the phenomenon… ”

The latter could be accelerated with the events of the Chinese New Year. On Saturday, the day of Aude's departure, millions of onlookers will mix in the streets. A context necessarily favorable to transmission of the virus.

The ghost of Sras

In Singapore, Alexander rightly dreads the return of Chinese nationals, who constitute the second largest community in the city-state. Expatriate for almost a year, this executive manager of a large network of advertising agencies has been following with concern the development of this beginning of the epidemic since the beginning of the month.

"Even if there has only been one case so far, it is a big topic for everyone, and especially for those with children," he points out. My colleagues who were present at the time immediately made the link with SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome, Editor's note). "

In 2002-2003, this other type of coronavirus had infected 8,096 people worldwide and left 774 dead, including 349 in mainland China and 299 in Hong Kong. Chinese authorities have been accused of delaying raising the alarm and trying to hide the magnitude of the problem.

"According to a doctor I met, this is the only period in which Singaporeans have already worn masks on a daily basis," reports Alexandre. The young man from Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine) therefore watches for the moment when the protections will be back on the faces of passers-by. Then he will start to worry for good.

Source: leparis

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