Face masks and sanitary wipes: Polokwane teacher on avoiding the coronavirus
Review spoke to Chantelle Venter, a resident from Polokwane who has been an English teacher in China for the past three years, about how this virus has an effect on them.
POLOKWANE –With 170 deaths, the coronavirus has spread worldwide fear with the World Health Organisation deeming it a global emergency.
Review spoke to Chantelle Venter, a resident from Polokwane who has been an English teacher in China for the past three years, about how this virus has an effect on them.
“I stay in Shanghai and it is not nearly as bad as in Wuhan and surrounding areas. I stay in Qingpu about 800 km from Wuhan.”
She explained that the nation is celebrating Chinese New Year, one of the biggest national holidays in China. “It is like our Christmas. This holiday was supposed to end on 1 February but was extended to 10 February in most areas, because of the virus. All schools have been closed until 29 February. Even though Shanghai is not in quarantine, most people prefer to stay inside their flat or house to prevent the spreading of the virus. All the tourist attractions, cinemas and other get-together areas are under lockdown to prevent big gatherings of people. Some shopping malls and centres are open but for a short period of time.”
About the masks that they have to wear, Chantelle says they are surprisingly comfortable and high fashion.
“If you do not wear one, people look at you in a bad way. The biggest problem is to get a mask as all of them are sold out. To keep me from getting the virus, I eat a lot of food with vitamin C and often wash my hands with anti-bacterial soap. I also keep a bottle of hand sanitiser at my front door and use it every time I go out or come back in. There is a smaller bottle in my handbag as well.”
Since they are not under quarantine, they are allowed to leave their houses but were advised not to have contact with other people to prevent spreading of the virus. “My days are quite exciting. I watch television, read and clean my house. The weather is cold and wet so it is in any case not nice to be outside. I will at times quickly visit the supermarket to stock up on fruit and vegetables or I will go walk in the park. I almost never see other people and supermarkets are near empty. In other provinces, measures are a lot stricter and those people have a curfew and are not allowed to leave the city.”
Since the virus is spreading at a very fast pace and there is very little information available on how exactly it is spreading, everyone is extremely cautious. Chantelle explains that the idea is if you do not get in contact with other people, you will not get the virus.
“In China, people do not really talk to each other on the street as it is not in their culture. I do have to wear a mask when I go to shops and I have a few extra masks, hand sanitiser and wet wipes. I use my own shopping bag and avoid people who look sick. I have my own electric scooter so I do not need to make use of public transport. If I do need to use a taxi, I ask the driver to open the windows so that we can have good ventilation.”
She says rumours such as being put into an ambulance when you sneeze, are false. “There is no one patrolling the streets looking for ill people. The shops, malls and restaurants all have the right to test your fever and all people who enter or leave the city are being tested at roadblocks. They also test people at tollgates. If you have a high fever you will get tested for the virus and if that test is positive, you are placed under quarantine. At some blocks of flats, you will be tested as well.”
Public places also have the right to refuse you entering when you do not wear a mask, Chantelle concludes.
More about the coronavirus:
So far, the virus has spread to 18 countries and 170 people have been killed. While there has yet to be a case of the novel coronavirus (2019-NCOV) reported in South Africa, 11 hospitals across the country have been earmarked as coronavirus treatment centres.
These hospitals are:
In Gauteng, Charlotte Maxeke hospital, Steve Biko hospital and Tembisa hospital will be taking in positively diagnosed patients.
In Limpopo, Polokwane Provincial Hospital will be used, Rob Ferreira hospital will be used in Mpumalanga, Grace hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, Klerksdorp hospital in the North West, Pelonomi hospital in the Free State, Kimberley hospital in the Northern Cape, Livingston hospital in the Eastern Cape, and Tygerberg hospital in the Western Cape.
Read more: Q&A: Evacuations from China’s virus-hit Wuhan
Symptoms:
Read more: Botswana registers first suspected case of coronavirus
Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize offered the following basic principles to reduce the general risk of transmission of acute respiratory infections, which include the following:
– avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections.
– frequent hand-washing, especially after direct contact with ill people or their environment.
– avoiding unprotected contact with farm or wild animals if travelling in China.
– when sneezing or coughing it is better to cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or arm and not your hands.
