Six Indiana University students of the Chinese Flagship Center ended their semester in China early and returned to the U.S. due to people’s growing concerns over the Coronavirus.
The World Health Organization declared the Coronavirus as a global health emergency on January 31. According to the New York Times, the virus has caused more than 30,000 infections and at least 638 deaths worldwide.
Yea-Fen Chen, director of the IU Chinese Flagship Center, said she received an email from the National Security Education Program asking six students who were in Nanjing, China to return by February 5.
Austin Peters talks about his feelings on the early return from China.
Austin Peters, one of the returning six students, was about to start his internship in China after the Lunar New Year, but he had to pack all his belongings and book the flight back just one week after the decision announced. “It’s a little frustrating that everything had been cut short so abruptly. The way that the coronavirus spread seemed to escalate much more quickly than I had anticipated,” Peters said.
Nathan Hansen, another student in the same program, also shared the intense atmosphere he had experienced in China after the outbreak of the Coronavirus. “Just everybody on the streets would have their masks on and people would be very skeptical if you didn’t. They will not be happy with you at all,” Hansen said.
He said that the guard at his apartment stared at him and checked his identification when he went downstairs for the delivery food without wearing a mask.
Nathan Hansen shares what he had experienced in China after the outbreak of the Coronavirus.
Peters said the situation in Nanjing was not as severe as Wuhan, the epicenter of the Coronavirus, but his daily life had also been affected. He left his apartment and took public transportation only for essentials to avoid being infected in crowded places.
Students are now waiting for the update from the center by March 1 on whether they can return to China to finish their one-year-long capstone program. Some Chinese students also worry about their families in China, especially in Wuhan.
Yixuan Chen talks about her family in China.
The U.S. government suggests travelers avoid nonessential trips to China, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
IU also announces that people who have been to Wuhan within the last 14 days and have symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath should report to the health center or medical provider. The university will handle the issue by following the CDC and the Indiana State Department of Health’s guidelines.
The growing fear of the Coronavirus drives the demand for masks not only in China but also in Bloomington. Some Chinese students complained that they could not find any masks sold in pharmacies, grocery stores, and online stores.
Dr. Beth Rupp explains the effective function of different masks.
The IU health center has also received several calls from students and faculties talking about their concerns regarding the virus. But, Dr. Beth Rupp, Medical Director of IU Health Center, clarifies that paper surgical masks that people mostly use in daily life are not effective in preventing the inhaling the germs of the virus.
Dr. Rupp recommends that the best way to prevent the infection is to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and avoid touching the nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Keeping these habits can also keep people safe from different viruses in the ongoing flu season.
