Chapter 19
Behind these swift and decisive actions lies the enormous lethality of this new virus.
Frontline doctors and related personnel worked together day and night to conduct experiments and research, and finally confirmed that the new virus had reached the highest level of safety isolation for isolating and experimenting on microbial tissue structures in the laboratory - the fourth level virus.
Other viruses that belong to the fourth level include the famous Ebola virus and Lassa fever. In most cases, the diseases they cause in humans are incurable.
Let's put it this way: SARS, which also ravaged coastal areas, and the often-publicized HIV virus were both classified as Level 3. This new virus is coming with such force that it defies common sense while also possessing a high rate of infection and lethality.
We are in close contact with the World Health Organization. This new virus has broken out in many countries, some of which have reported it and some have not taken it seriously.
The United States has always been singing a different tune from others, saying that they do not have this virus, and nonchalantly refutes the actions of raising the level of attention and issuing global warnings. Is it necessary to do so just because it is a large-scale influenza?
Fortunately, the WHO has clear-headed people, and it is not just the United States that does what it says. Asian countries are particularly affected by the new virus. After issuing the warning, it was found that the medical systems of smaller countries such as R and H were already in a semi-collapsed state.
It is unrealistic to talk about aid now. This is related to a country's decision-making ability and decisiveness. Every country has its own difficulties.
The United States, which was like a laughing stock, could not remain calm for a few days. Before it started to hype the false public opinion that the new virus was brought by the yellow race, many new virus cases suddenly emerged in its country.
The new virus has actually been circulating around the world for a long time, its source is unknown, and its ridiculously long incubation period can reach dozens of days.
Moreover, because the United States did not publicize the WHO warning, the rare few days of buffer period were wasted, and the people, who were flooded with guns and did not trust the government, began to "happily" rush to buy supplies.
The pandemic they claimed soon filled the hospital corridors with people. The M countrymen who disliked wearing masks became mobile sources of infection. The elderly and children were the groups most susceptible to infection and death. In continent E, where the aging population is serious, an entire village of elderly people even died from the new virus.
The world's attention has finally focused on the new virus. The world's top medical experts officially named it Virus X. Its characteristics make everyone terrified.
All countries issued different forms of orders with the same purpose: home quarantine. The first day of the official home quarantine order was also the third day of the official announcement of Virus X.
Such a decisive order and a move that is likely to severely damage the economy have caused dissatisfaction among many people. "Freedom", economy, etc. are placed on both sides of the scale with life.
Some people are conspiring to theorize that this is a terrorist attack and a human cleansing, some are so panicked that they are morbidly cleaning everything with disinfectant, and some are ignoring all calls and going out as usual without wearing masks.
The people of our country have relatively stronger support for government orders. When demonstrations and zero-dollar shopping are emerging one after another abroad, every household wears a mask and buys enough supplies without going out, and the country's medical resources are concentrated on assisting the three blocked cities.
Self-tests are recommended daily. Those with fevers can call a hotline, where a dedicated medical team will disinfect their homes and transport them to a hospital for treatment. Although the number of infections is still rising, the firm macroeconomic policies provide reassurance.
Chao Youqian breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that the situation had at least been contained to a certain extent domestically.
With the start of the quarantine, their neighborhood has become very quiet, save for the occasional bark of a dog coming downstairs for a walk. The nearby city park is temporarily closed to the public, and even with the windows open, the sound of birdsong has increased.
Online shopping is still possible, but you have to refresh it regularly to avoid delivery due to insufficient shipping capacity. Couriers and food deliveries are not allowed into the residential complex, so the expensive property management fees finally come in handy, as the building manager will deliver food deliveries to your door.
However, there are only about thirty households in the community, and on average a building manager is only responsible for a few households, and the elevator is disinfected twice a day, morning and evening.
According to the stay-at-home order, one person from each household can go out once every three days. Although Chao Youqian and Lang Xin live together on two floors, they are strictly speaking still considered two heads of household, so each of them has a pass.
But they choose not to use this opportunity to go to the supermarket. When they go out occasionally, they just make an excuse to explain the source of supplies at home, drive out for a drive and come back.
The house is well stocked with supplies of all kinds, enough to last for several years even if one splurges lavishly. The cabinets are overflowing, and the large and indispensable paper towels occupy the top floor, which was originally the living room. It is particularly spectacular every time one looks at it.
The stainless steel door in front of the two-story elevator was locked and was only opened every few days when I went downstairs to take out the trash.
Work had become more relaxed and flexible, and Chao Youqian had invested all the money he'd invested in stock funds into medical stocks, which saw a surge in their value. Lang Xin's position, where he received dividends but had no responsibilities, also meant he didn't have to worry about the company. Furthermore, with stay-at-home orders in place, people were spending a significant amount of time online, leading to record game sales and a surge in market value.
They divided the proceeds into three parts and donated them anonymously to three reputable charitable aid organizations in the blockaded cities. Because of the huge amount, they were enthusiastically invited to a telephone interview, but of course they declined and only left a message on the official website saying "Thanks to the anonymous donors for their help."
This is all we can do. The pace of doomsday will not stop. Using money for reconstruction and aid only works in an orderly era. In a society without order, there is no general equivalent, let alone responsibility and obligation.
Chao Youqian still hopes that money can exist as a circulating commodity for a longer period of time, which means that the situation is still within the controllable range. However, this is uncertain, and the most important thing is to live in the present.
After moving to H City, I stayed at home intermittently for several days, but after the implementation of the stay-at-home order, the feeling of being restricted and not allowed to go out was still a bit uncomfortable.
Fortunately, they had everything at home, so Chao Youqian and Lang Xin quickly adjusted their mentality.
There will be many more days in the future when we won’t be able to go out, and there may even be worse situations. Being able to stay comfortably at home is a rare happiness.
People and persons in charge in key positions cannot even stay at home, and medical staff are so busy that news of sudden deaths has been reported.
Chinese citizens abroad are rushing to buy tickets back home, with prices rising and tickets becoming hard to come by. Because some places abroad aren't as large as they used to be, lockdowns are impossible, and the virus is spreading rapidly, practically everywhere.
Especially after the WHO announced that the X virus is transmitted through aerosols and has a high mortality rate without a specific medicine, more and more people want to return to China.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
