WUHAN: RETURNING TO NORMALCY

University Students in Wuhan, Where the Coronavirus Outbreak Began, Returned to School Amidst the Pandemic

Written by Ziyi Yuan | Art by Ziyi Yuan

Students in Wuhan, China, returned to universities in September as the number of people infected with COVID-19 increased worldwide and many schools remained closed in the United States.

The vice governor of Hubei province, Yang Yunyan, delivered a message to the public in June saying “there is no need to wear masks in Wuhan while maintaining a social distance if people are outdoors and in open areas, such as parks.” But the Hubei government and scientists still suggested that Wuhan citizens should get into the habit of wearing masks and carrying masks everywhere.

According to the Johns Hopkins Resource Center, there were around 91,900 cases confirmed in China in November, nearly 68,200 of which were in Hubei Province.

In April, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Wuhan was approximately 50,400 according to the data from China Global Television Network. After the Wuhan government tested its entire 11 million person population for COVID-19 in May, there were 100 asymptomatic and no new COVID-19 sufferers.

Hansheng Li, a freshman majoring in clinical medicine at Wuhan University, has been doing his homework in his room and sharing the small space with his 10 roommates on campus.

According to Li, Wuhan University does not require students to wear masks or to socially distance in public places. Students are also not required to ensure their rooms are clean and disinfected even though the school has nearly 54,000 students and 3,600 academic staff.

“We normally have 50 to 100students in one class. Students rarely wearmaks and professors don't wear masks during classes,” Li said.

Despite many people not wearing masks, Li said there have been no infections at the university.

November, nearly 68,200 of which academic staff. In April, the total number of students in one class. Students rarely confirmed COVID-19 cases in wear masks and professors don’t wear Wuhan was approximately 50,400, Global Television Network. After Despite many people not wearing the Wuhan government tested its masks, Li said there have been no entire 11 million person population infections at the university. disinfected, even though the school

The dining spaces and stadiums are open and operating normally, but students must take a temperature test before entering these spaces to ensure that they are not symptomatic.

However, there is a rule for every student at Wuhan University that if they want to leave, they have to submit an application stating why they need to go outside. This includes WUHAN going back home, going shopping and going to work. “So far I have adapted to campus life well. But I think the application is annoying because we have to fill the form, the university actually doesn’t care about where we are going. We just have to submit it before we leave the university,” said Li.

In July, Li faced the National College Entrance Examination in China. The examination usually takes high school students three years to prepare for and is given once a year.

“I took online courses when Wuhan was locked down, but I was lazy because I stayed at home all the time. So, I studied by myself and did exercises to prepare for the examination, but I did not feel good. After the city reopened in April, I went back to the high school to take courses,” said Li.

There were about 30 students in each classroom of Li’s high school. The teachers would hold a class in one of the classrooms and then use a camera to broadcast live in the other classroom, where they were all required to wear masks. This allowed every student to attend classes at the same time.

“I appreciated that I could go back to high school in April. Because the teachers were very strict in our study, so that I earned a lot of progress. Otherwise, I couldn’t get into Wuhan University,” said Li.

The university has also laid down many regulations in order to keep teachers and students safe. It required students to submit health information on its campus program on WeChat for 14 days and get coronavirus tests before returning to school.

Wuhan University’s campus program on WeChat to ensure the health and safety of students and professors.

Photo by Ziyi Yuan

Siqi Fei, a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering and automation at Wuhan University, said that masks were required when students first returned to campus, but that requirement was discontinued.

“Later, teachers found that wearing masks would affect their teaching, so few teachers wear masks in class,” said Fei. “But we have to scan the health QR code to enter and leave the campus. For checking students’ body temperature, our university installed infrared temperature measuring equipment in the dining hall and some buildings.”

The health identity card (QR code) for Wuhan University students on WeChat program at the campus.

Photo by Siqi Fei

The health QR code on WeChat program in Wuhan university’s build for its students to scan before they enter.

Photo by Siqi Fei

The infrared temperature measuring equipment in the dining hall in Wuhan University.

Photo by Siqi Fei

“However, there are few people who consciously scan the code, and the campus management is not very strict now.”

“The dining hall requires students to wear masks when we dine in, but not all students do as required,” said Fei.

As a student at Wuhan University, Fei only has four roommates at her room on campus compared to Li’s 10 roommates.

“Although the university does not have a dormitory hygiene requirement, my roommates and I will disinfect the dormitory regularly, such as spraying alcohol,” said Fei.

Fei said if a student has a fever in the dorm, the student will be sent to a designated place for quarantine. Other students in the same dorm will also be quarantined for at least one day.

“I think health QR code can not only detect students’ physical condition but also prevent people, who are outside the university, from entering the campus,” said Fei. “However, there are few people who consciously scan the code, and the campus management is not very strict now.”

Wuhan University also has its own hospital, called the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University. Most students from its medical department can go to this hospital to intern.

Patients waiting in line to register at the entrance of Wuhan University Renmin Hospital.

Xuanyu Wang

“Our hospital requires all inpatients and their families to do a virus test before doing hospitalized surgery. It’s a regulation to ensure the safety of all students and doctors,” said Xuanyu Wang, a graduate student studying clinical medicine at Wuhan University.

Besides Wuhan University, other schools also have various rules for the safety WUHAN of students and teachers. Central China Normal University not only has various health regulations, but also has installed a temperature detection system and face recognition system in each dormitory building.

Before returning to the university, students were required to fill out an application form and provide their health codes to the campus. The university also asked students who live in highrisk areas to postpone their return to campus.

When students are at the university, they are required to report their temperature to the campus three times a day. Masks are also required in public places outside of classroom dormitories. The dining hall only provided half capacity for students and teachers in the early days of our return to the university, but was fully open by mid-September. The university also requires students to bring their own tableware because the dining hall does not provide public tableware.

“Our school requires students to fill out an application and we have to get the approval from the counselor before we leave the campus, and we also need to tell our parents that we will leave campus before we the approval,” said Haojia Du, a sophomore majoring in mathematics and applied mathematics at Central China Normal University.

The information on the application at Central China Normal University also includes the reason for leaving campus, the place students are going and the time they will be leaving and coming back.

“I heard that our university’s application for leaving campus is much stricter than other universities in Wuhan,” said Du. “But I think it is understandable, and I am used to these rules.”

Ziyi Yuan (she/her/hers) is a senior double majoring in journalism and graphic design.