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| China Post-Coronavirus: Signs of Life, Censorship and Paranoia | China Post-Coronavirus: Signs of Life, Censorship and Paranoia |
| (3 days later) | |
| HEFEI, China — Once again, we were being followed. | HEFEI, China — Once again, we were being followed. |
| The police officer broke up our interview with a construction worker. Then he scared off a shop worker who was opening up about the city’s strict lockdown. | The police officer broke up our interview with a construction worker. Then he scared off a shop worker who was opening up about the city’s strict lockdown. |
| Finally he went undercover. He pulled off his police jacket and skulked behind us through a mall in a black long-sleeved shirt. When I looked back, he would dive into stores. Once I caught him peeking from behind a clothing rack. | Finally he went undercover. He pulled off his police jacket and skulked behind us through a mall in a black long-sleeved shirt. When I looked back, he would dive into stores. Once I caught him peeking from behind a clothing rack. |
| As a tail, he was cartoonishly obvious. But it didn’t matter. Each time my colleague and I tried to talk to someone, he found a way to scare the person off. For all the anti-foreign propaganda, intimidation and censorship in China, regular people are often willing to share their experiences. The man was there to make sure they didn’t. | As a tail, he was cartoonishly obvious. But it didn’t matter. Each time my colleague and I tried to talk to someone, he found a way to scare the person off. For all the anti-foreign propaganda, intimidation and censorship in China, regular people are often willing to share their experiences. The man was there to make sure they didn’t. |
| We had come to Hefei, a middle-class city in central China, to chronicle the country’s emergence from its devastating battle against the coronavirus. Since the first outbreak in the city of Wuhan in January, the virus had prompted the Chinese government to close vast parts of the country, disrupting daily life and freezing major parts of its huge economic growth engine. | We had come to Hefei, a middle-class city in central China, to chronicle the country’s emergence from its devastating battle against the coronavirus. Since the first outbreak in the city of Wuhan in January, the virus had prompted the Chinese government to close vast parts of the country, disrupting daily life and freezing major parts of its huge economic growth engine. |
| Hefei, we thought, would give us stories of joy and relief, as well as of the anxieties and wrinkles of returning to everyday life. Hefei’s people hold lessons for a world now grappling with some of the same problems, and their labor and spending could provide a badly needed growth spark. | Hefei, we thought, would give us stories of joy and relief, as well as of the anxieties and wrinkles of returning to everyday life. Hefei’s people hold lessons for a world now grappling with some of the same problems, and their labor and spending could provide a badly needed growth spark. |
| Our undercover friend told us a different story. He showed us, once again, how the authorities stop at nothing to control the narrative coming out of China. His creeping presence was also a painful reminder that this trip would be my last in China for a while. At the end of the week, I had to leave the country, a part of an expulsion of the majority of reporters for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. | Our undercover friend told us a different story. He showed us, once again, how the authorities stop at nothing to control the narrative coming out of China. His creeping presence was also a painful reminder that this trip would be my last in China for a while. At the end of the week, I had to leave the country, a part of an expulsion of the majority of reporters for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. |
| The police officer blocked a tale of renewal. Signs of life in Hefei were everywhere. Traffic snarled the main roads at rush hour. The subways were at least half full, and the parks speckled with the elderly out for exercise. | The police officer blocked a tale of renewal. Signs of life in Hefei were everywhere. Traffic snarled the main roads at rush hour. The subways were at least half full, and the parks speckled with the elderly out for exercise. |
| Hefei offers a glimpse of real China. Similar to the many huge but anonymous cities of China’s eastern interior, it provides a more accurate portrait of regular Chinese life than one can find in the affluent megacities of Beijing and Shanghai, where most foreign correspondents live. | Hefei offers a glimpse of real China. Similar to the many huge but anonymous cities of China’s eastern interior, it provides a more accurate portrait of regular Chinese life than one can find in the affluent megacities of Beijing and Shanghai, where most foreign correspondents live. |
| It is a city of eight million people and a provincial capital. It has worked to move past its traditional base of agriculture and manufacturing and nurture a technology-centric economy. Still, for all of its new office buildings and upscale residential towers, the city has a blue-collar edge. | It is a city of eight million people and a provincial capital. It has worked to move past its traditional base of agriculture and manufacturing and nurture a technology-centric economy. Still, for all of its new office buildings and upscale residential towers, the city has a blue-collar edge. |
| On a pedestrian shopping street, people were out but shops were mostly empty. One jewelry store, China Gold, seemed particularly desperate for customers. Most members of its staff were out in front, bouncing with coordinated dance moves to booming pop. Some held up signs. Others dressed in elaborate red marital robes, invoking an instance when many Chinese families buy gold. For all their efforts, people just weren’t buying. | On a pedestrian shopping street, people were out but shops were mostly empty. One jewelry store, China Gold, seemed particularly desperate for customers. Most members of its staff were out in front, bouncing with coordinated dance moves to booming pop. Some held up signs. Others dressed in elaborate red marital robes, invoking an instance when many Chinese families buy gold. For all their efforts, people just weren’t buying. |
| One employee invited us to the empty sales floor for a chat. He admitted that times had been tough since the business opened again. Plenty of people strolled by, but most were warding off cabin fever, he said, not looking to splash cash on a gold brooch. | One employee invited us to the empty sales floor for a chat. He admitted that times had been tough since the business opened again. Plenty of people strolled by, but most were warding off cabin fever, he said, not looking to splash cash on a gold brooch. |
| “People are in the streets window-shopping, but no one’s buying anything,” he said. | “People are in the streets window-shopping, but no one’s buying anything,” he said. |
| It was as far as the interview got. Our man in black was back. Submitting to a temperature scan, he strolled to the back of the shop and had a word with the manager. Within minutes our willing interviewee was too busy to talk, and too scared to give a name — generally a requirement to use a person’s story or quotes. | It was as far as the interview got. Our man in black was back. Submitting to a temperature scan, he strolled to the back of the shop and had a word with the manager. Within minutes our willing interviewee was too busy to talk, and too scared to give a name — generally a requirement to use a person’s story or quotes. |
| For all the signs of returning normalcy, Hefei clearly had a long way to go. People seemed dazed and wary. | For all the signs of returning normalcy, Hefei clearly had a long way to go. People seemed dazed and wary. |
| Partly, it was the virus. But another part was the oppressive tactics that kept people indoors. Neighbors were encouraged to report one another for breaking rules. Punishments were stiff. | Partly, it was the virus. But another part was the oppressive tactics that kept people indoors. Neighbors were encouraged to report one another for breaking rules. Punishments were stiff. |
| On an elevator going up to eat dinner at a popular restaurant, Lady Luzhou, one woman muttered to her friend, “If work knew I was going out to dinner tonight, they’d kill me.” | On an elevator going up to eat dinner at a popular restaurant, Lady Luzhou, one woman muttered to her friend, “If work knew I was going out to dinner tonight, they’d kill me.” |
| Inside the restaurant, one man we approached was instantly concerned. When we explained we were media, he responded: “I’m not wearing a mask because I’m only on my way back from the bathroom. And when I’m eating, I also can’t wear a mask.” | Inside the restaurant, one man we approached was instantly concerned. When we explained we were media, he responded: “I’m not wearing a mask because I’m only on my way back from the bathroom. And when I’m eating, I also can’t wear a mask.” |
| After we assured him we weren’t accusing him, he admitted: “This is my first day out. The feeling is like I’ve been holding my breath for a long time.” | After we assured him we weren’t accusing him, he admitted: “This is my first day out. The feeling is like I’ve been holding my breath for a long time.” |
| Still, during our visit signs pointed to life slowly returning. Malls guarded by men wielding temperature guns had a smattering of cautious shoppers. | Still, during our visit signs pointed to life slowly returning. Malls guarded by men wielding temperature guns had a smattering of cautious shoppers. |
| Cafes and restaurants rearranged their interiors with an eye toward stopping viral contagion. Tables were pulled farther apart. Chairs faced a single direction. | Cafes and restaurants rearranged their interiors with an eye toward stopping viral contagion. Tables were pulled farther apart. Chairs faced a single direction. |
| Many of the eateries were filled with people. Some even ignored the seating patterns and sat face to face, chattering closely, as in the time before a breath might bring infection. At Lady Luzhou, drinking seemed heavier than it might normally be. Plenty puffed on cigarettes. | Many of the eateries were filled with people. Some even ignored the seating patterns and sat face to face, chattering closely, as in the time before a breath might bring infection. At Lady Luzhou, drinking seemed heavier than it might normally be. Plenty puffed on cigarettes. |
| But we needed to talk to real people, and to do that we had to ditch the police. We wandered down an alley near the shopping street, doubled back and then doubled back again to see who was tailing us. The police officer now had a team of at least six others helping. | But we needed to talk to real people, and to do that we had to ditch the police. We wandered down an alley near the shopping street, doubled back and then doubled back again to see who was tailing us. The police officer now had a team of at least six others helping. |
| Updated June 12, 2020 | Updated June 12, 2020 |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| When they were on a smoking break, we jogged across a street just as the light was changing. They jaywalked across four lanes of traffic. | When they were on a smoking break, we jogged across a street just as the light was changing. They jaywalked across four lanes of traffic. |
| In the subway, when a conscientious guard stopped them for wearing their masks improperly, we jumped on a train. At the next station we jumped off as the doors were about to close. It was a small pleasure to watch half the team helplessly speeding away through the windows. | In the subway, when a conscientious guard stopped them for wearing their masks improperly, we jumped on a train. At the next station we jumped off as the doors were about to close. It was a small pleasure to watch half the team helplessly speeding away through the windows. |
| We hopped into a car we had ordered online. One of our tails wrote down the license plate. Within minutes, the driver received a call. He quietly listed the route he was taking. | We hopped into a car we had ordered online. One of our tails wrote down the license plate. Within minutes, the driver received a call. He quietly listed the route he was taking. |
| The wariness that motivated the police to follow us seemed to extend to regular residents as well. With the virus apparently tamed in China and raging in the world, propaganda and online rumors alike have sought to find scapegoats overseas. State media has warned of foreign cases coming into China, without clarifying that many are Chinese people returning to the country. That has created alarming levels of xenophobia. The fears are a fresh layer on top of China’s new nationalism, carefully incubated by the state, which carries with it a ragged distrust of and anger at outsiders. | The wariness that motivated the police to follow us seemed to extend to regular residents as well. With the virus apparently tamed in China and raging in the world, propaganda and online rumors alike have sought to find scapegoats overseas. State media has warned of foreign cases coming into China, without clarifying that many are Chinese people returning to the country. That has created alarming levels of xenophobia. The fears are a fresh layer on top of China’s new nationalism, carefully incubated by the state, which carries with it a ragged distrust of and anger at outsiders. |
| One reason we had come to Hefei was that it was one of the few cities with a hotel that would accept foreigners. In most places, even American chains like Marriotts and Hiltons said no foreigners allowed. | One reason we had come to Hefei was that it was one of the few cities with a hotel that would accept foreigners. In most places, even American chains like Marriotts and Hiltons said no foreigners allowed. |
| Having a quick meal at a half-filled McDonald’s before heading for the train station, my colleague and I were quietly talking when a young man wearing a bright yellow hoodie approached. He pointed at me. “You foreign trash,” he said. “Foreign trash! What are you doing in my country? And you, with him, you bitch.” | Having a quick meal at a half-filled McDonald’s before heading for the train station, my colleague and I were quietly talking when a young man wearing a bright yellow hoodie approached. He pointed at me. “You foreign trash,” he said. “Foreign trash! What are you doing in my country? And you, with him, you bitch.” |
| He hovered over us menacingly for a few minutes before moving on. His tirade, and the fact that no one in the restaurant said a word, felt bleakly appropriate. | He hovered over us menacingly for a few minutes before moving on. His tirade, and the fact that no one in the restaurant said a word, felt bleakly appropriate. |
| As sad as I am to leave, people like him aren’t sad to see me go. | As sad as I am to leave, people like him aren’t sad to see me go. |
| Lin Qiqing contributed research. | Lin Qiqing contributed research. |