China Daily just published my latest column titled No longer ‘Sleepless in Beijing’ after sharing my epidemic experience. Here’s an excerpt:
If my life in March were a movie, you might call it “Sleepless in Beijing”, as I spent much of the month worrying about the health and well-being of family and friends in my home country of the US, where the coronavirus epidemic was getting worse.
Only a month or so earlier, I had been the one they were concerned about, as they inquired about my situation in China and wondered if I was safe. But the tables had swiftly turned as the epicenter of the pandemic had shifted to Europe and experts predicted the US would be next. So there I was, dashing off anxious text messages to make sure nobody in the family had coronavirus symptoms, and even pleading with loved ones, sometimes in tears, to cancel meetings and other social gatherings.
At the height of my fears, I woke up one morning and decided to send out an email to my closest family and friends in the US, detailing my own personal experiences in Beijing with epidemic prevention and control over the past few months. I thought they might better understand the importance of the measures we had already lived – such as going out less, avoiding contact with other people, and not gathering together – if they heard it from someone they knew and cared about.
I hit the send button, crossed my fingers, and prayed at least one of them would actually read my words and heed the warnings.
You can read the full column here. And if you like it, share it. Wishing everyone out there safety and good health.