In 12 days, there were 553 new locally confirmed cases and 195 asymptomatic infections in Hebei Province. The Epidemic has disrupted the lives of many people. Going to the doctor, buying Medicine and going to work, which were ordinary actions, required extra effort in emergency situations.
On January 11, 2021, Lu Ming, who lives in Yanjiao, Hebei, could only work from Home. He experienced a one-way commute of more than five hours into Beijing. Later, because of his ID card for Xingtai, Hebei, he would be blocked out of Beijing even if he could show all the certificates required for epidemic control special. He didn’t ask too many questions about why and chose to accept.
On January 13, Zhang Ke’s Family left from Baoding, Hebei at 3:00 a.m. and experienced the twists and turns of going to Beijing to be persuaded to return, having their surgery appointment rejected and then being admitted to the hospital at 4:00 p.m.
On Jan. 14, Shijiazhuang native Wang Mu’s father was nearly off his medication and had to go to the hospital for a review. He had just had a bone marrow transplant and was at risk of infection at any Time. Wang Mu searched all over the pharmacy and ran around on social media platforms to finally find enough medicine and made an appointment for a review on January 18.
They are the most ordinary people, in the midst of the epidemic, who are struggling to stay alive.
A premature baby, seeking medical treatment in Beijing
When an “urgent request for help” message was sent, “Is there an eye hospital in Beijing that accepts Hebei children? Is there an eye hospital in Beijing that accepts patients from Hebei for surgery? ” was posted on social media platforms on the morning of Jan. 13, a number of public service and media people began to run for assistance.
The message came from Zhang Ke of Baoding, Hebei, who at this time was carrying her three-month-old child in the underground garage of a Beijing hospital. The hospital had refused to admit them from Hebei because of the epidemic.
Zhang Ke had just become a mother more than three months earlier, when the baby was born prematurely at less than seven months. “At birth, the baby was only 995 grams. ” Zhang Ke said. The infant suffered from severe hydrocephalus and severe brain hemorrhage, which led to eye lesions. Treated at a local hospital in Baoding, the lungs were not yet developed because of the prematurity, and the baby was mainly on a ventilator at first, waiting until breathing was basically stable and vital signs were stabilized, before thinking about treating the brain and eye conditions.
The tiny baby, urgently needed surgery, otherwise, the retina might detach and risk Blindness. So, on the 45th day of Life, the baby was transferred to the 81st Children’s Hospital attached to the 7th Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital (hereinafter referred to as “81st Hospital”) through the contact of the local attending doctor. The baby was transferred to Bayi Children’s Hospital (hereinafter referred to as “Bayi Hospital”) for treatment. “At that time, there was no epidemic in Beijing and Hebei, and the hospitalization went quite smoothly. “Zhang Ke recalls.
After learning that Peking University First Hospital is good at treating hydrocephalus, on November 22, 2020, Zhang Ke and her husband took the child to Peking University Hospital via ambulance transfer, “the child fell asleep in the incubator on the way and laughed twice “. After the brain surgery left the hospital in mid-December, but need to be regularly reviewed and injected.
However, in early January, the sudden arrival of the epidemic in Hebei came with a vengeance.
The difficulty of entering Beijing from Hebei increased steeply. Zhang Ke had no choice but to take the child for a review at the hospital in Baoding. “After the examination on January 11, the doctor found that the child was in a very bad condition and had to be injected immediately. “Zhang Ke said that this is not an ordinary injection, but actually a surgery. She asked around, the hospital in Hebei can not do, can only come to Beijing.
After asking around about the procedure for people to go to Beijing, Zhang Ke and her family decided to rush to Beijing from Baoding in the early morning of Jan. 13. She told the reporter that if there was no way out, no one would want to come out at this time.
In order to get to the hospital before 8 a.m., Zhang Ke and her family decided to leave at 3 a.m.
When they arrived at the checkpoint at the border of Hebei Province, the staff stopped them from entering Beijing. “We kept communicating that the child was in a hurry to see a doctor and could only go to Beijing for surgery. “Zhang Ke recalls, looked at the nucleic acid test results, checked the ID card, travel book, Hebei health code, and did the registration, and finally let them pass.
“There’s not much traffic on the highway. “Zhang Ke said. More than two hours later to the Beida Hospital, the nurse asked, recently out of Beijing? Any contact with people from Hebei. When Zhang Ke answered that he came from Hebei, the people waiting next to him immediately bounced away, and “everyone unconsciously took two steps backwards”.
Bad news followed. The doctor replied that patients of Hebei origin could not enter the operating room. “The doctor helped ask other hospitals in Beijing, and the answer was no. At that time, Zhang Ke felt deeply powerless, thought of all sorts of ways, but also in the social media platform posted that “emergency help “.
After receiving this information, a person from a public welfare organization began to communicate with the National Health Commission. After the reporter forwarded this information to an epidemic mutual aid platform, there were also public interest people who helped to contact.
At 3 p.m. on Jan. 13, the reporter called the Beijing Citizen Hotline, and the staff said that whether Hebei patients can enter Beijing for medical treatment is subject to the response of each hospital, and the Beijing government has not issued a unified policy.
At present, there is only control for Hebei people entering Beijing, except for the medium and high-risk areas of Shijiazhuang/Xingtai, Hebei people do not enter Beijing unless necessary, and people from low-risk areas must provide proof of negative nucleic acid test 72 hours before arrival in Beijing, and report to the Beijing community/working unit to which they are going, subject to the response of the destination community/working unit. If you want to seek medical treatment, the hospital response will prevail.
“It was really desperate, we asked many hospitals, including some private hospitals, could not stay. “Zhang Ke said.
2:24 p.m. that day, the reporter had a telephone communication with Zhang Ke, Zhang Ke said he was waiting for a reply at the 81st Hospital, and now it is not sure if he can be admitted.
January 13, 3:13 p.m., the reporter came to the 81st Hospital. In the hospital’s emergency, outpatient and inpatient entrance, are affixed with the State Council communications big data trip card small program QR code, enter the personnel must scan the code and show the green code before you can enter.
After contacting dozens of hospitals have been refused, 4:25 p.m., Zhang Ke text message informed reporters that the child’s condition is critical, the eight hospital agreed to admit, is undergoing hospitalization procedures, and arranged the next day of eye treatment surgery.
Zhang Ke and his family anxious all day heart has a settlement, but she did not feel relieved. Because the child needs to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Bayi Hospital, family members are not allowed to visit the hospital during hospitalization. The child is so small, Zhang Ke is full of anxiety and worry, at 6 p.m., she told reporters in a slightly sobbing voice that the doctor was having a pre-operative talk with her.
“When signing the notification letter and other documents, I could hear the cries of the children in the ward, and although several children were crying, I could immediately distinguish my child’s voice, and listening to it I had to shed tears along with it. “Zhang Ke said.
After the procedure, Zhang Ke stayed with relatives in Beijing, waiting for the child to return home together after the surgery. At this time and then communicate, the reporter obviously feel that Zhang Ke’s emotions have gradually stabilized, only to talk about the child still in the NICU some ups and downs fluctuations.
In the afternoon of January 14, Zhang Ke and the hospital on the phone, the medical staff responded that the child has been successfully operated in the morning, belong to the routine blood tests normal. “The white blood cells are a little low, but the normal range for premature babies.” Post-operative observation for 48 hours, the family can request to be discharged, but after a week need to review once.
The medical staff told Zhang Ke that the child would be taken out of the ward on Jan. 15 for a cardiac ultrasound. Zhang Ke wanted to take the opportunity to see the child, but the hospital denied Zhang’s request on the grounds of “reducing staff turnover”.
She wanted to hold the baby, but had to make another decision.
“Although you can be discharged in a few days, but a week later, you still have to review, we decided not to discharge first. “Zhang did not know what would happen the next time she went to Beijing for a review. She did not dare to take such a risk again.
Shijiazhuang “closed city” to seek drugs
Wang Mu, a native of Shijiazhuang, never thought that one day, the “closed city” would be so close to him.
The city has not had many confirmed cases in Shijiazhuang in the past, and not many at the height of the epidemic,” Wang said, adding that his family was suddenly “sealed” in the city.
Wang Mu, who works in Beijing, kept an eye on her hometown since the confirmed cases appeared in Hebei on Jan. 2, and “the next day, the number of confirmed cases suddenly became 14,” she said. The next day, the number of confirmed cases suddenly became 14,” she vaguely thought, is not a bit serious? But she still did not expect to “close the city”.
It wasn’t until January 5 that Wang Mu learned from her mother that many people in the supermarket had started to grab vegetables. Although there is no exact news, but she was anxious, decided to order some Food in the takeaway platform, the family has to 8 pm before someone, Wang Mu will choose the delivery time for 8 pm.
“You know what, when the food was delivered at 8:00, there was almost nothing”, the night of January 14, although it has been more than ten days, talking about the scene, Wang Mu still feel everything I placed an order before 12 noon, ordered 10 pounds of cabbage, 10 pounds of potatoes, and a few pounds of cauliflower “, however, cabbage and potatoes are back orders However, the cabbage and potatoes were backordered, 5 pounds of onions were delivered only 2, and the cauliflower was only scattered a few pieces. So, she called the platform, the response was that the evening delivery order, only these dishes left.
On January 7, Shijiazhuang responded to the new crown epidemic work leading group issued a notice that from now on, all vehicles entering and leaving the city’s municipal area will be issued passes by the county (city) district epidemic prevention command.
“The good thing is that at that time the district gave an hour to go out and buy food, my mother bought some potatoes and vegetables, to last through the beginning of the two or three days. “Wang Mu said, the first few days, can not go out, the courier is not available, can only eat these things. Her sister also lives in Shijiazhuang, did not prepare food in advance, see Parents home also did not have enough food, did not spare, “the first two or three days, sister and brother-in-law only eat the main food every day, noodles or something, no dishes “.
Looking back on these days, she felt some guilt, “the most difficult time, I did not face with the family”. on January 8 she sent a circle of friends that “floating in the field we are in the same mood, recently extra homesick”.
“At first thought to stay at home for three days on the line, and then the time was changed to seven days. Look at the situation now, and do not know how long to seal. Wang Mu said. January 10, Shijiazhuang outbreak conference came news, Shijiazhuang second full nucleic acid test after advocating all residents continue to home isolation for seven days.
During this time, what disturbed Wang Mu most was his father’s increasingly empty medicine box, and the hospital review that had been delayed for a week.
In April 2020, Wang Mu’s father underwent a bone marrow transplant. After the surgery, he had to go to the hospital for regular reviews, and also had to take medication every day to prevent infection. “When I first had the surgery, I was reviewed once a week or two. The first review was not bad, then, the review time changed to half a month, then every three weeks. “Wang Mu said.
The medicine Wangmu’s father needed to take, called Fluconazole tablets, “belonged to the prescription and could not be prescribed much at a time,” she said, adding that by the second day of sealing the city, the medicine was a bit insufficient. She started asking around online and at pharmacies near her home, and only got a total of two boxes because they needed specific specifications.
The two boxes had a total of six pills, and her father needed to take four pills a day. “In less than two days there will be no more,” Wang Mu advised her father to call 120 directly. “My father inquired, sit 120 can only go to the hospital, can not come back, he felt inconvenient has not played”.
The rest of the medicine will not last two days. “If you can’t take the medicine, what about the infection? At that time really anxious. Wang Mu began to ask around, the evening of January 13, she sent three circles of friends, “If there are friends who know pharmacies can help us ask where this drug, how to buy? How can I buy it? The power of many people is great. “
The friends around helped to find a way to ask pharmacies if they have any medicine that meets the specifications. The company’s main business is to provide a wide range of products and services to the public.
At 3 p.m. on Jan. 14, Wang Mu shared in her circle of friends, “Good news, my dad can go to the hospital. Wang Mu’s father has made an appointment to go to the hospital for a review on January 18, “by then, you should not have to worry about the medicine, the review can be prescribed more”.
For Wang Mu, she has been hanging on the heart finally down. The other choice question previously posed in front of her, also no longer have to choose.
“Before is not sure if I can go home for New Year, now has been determined, can not go home”, people around asked her how to spend New Year, she would joke that “I’m going to buy all the gas and toll money I saved as Cheerios, and the tears are Cheerios-flavored. “But she will be blocking colleagues in that circle of friends message,” or a little sad. “
“Who does not want to go home, especially this time of year. But special times, only so. “Wang Mu said.
Yanjiao road to work
Jan. 15 was the fifth day of Lu Ming’s home office.
His family lives in Yanjiao, Hebei, and works 55 kilometers away in the Shijingshan area of Beijing. Previously, the daily commute was nearly four hours to and from the two places.
On Jan. 8, Lu Ming had a bone-chilling commute. He went out at 6 a.m. and arrived at the office at 11 p.m. “When I arrived at the unit, it was already noon, so I could go straight to dinner,” he teased.
That day, he was blocked outside the checkpoint into Beijing and waited for more than four hours. “At that time, I also knew that it was crossing the checkpoint, I thought I would wait and pass, but I did not expect to wait for four hours. “Lu Ming said. During this time, the bus he was on, half of the passengers got off the bus. Lu Ming also does not know where they will go, or what other methods to enter Beijing, “maybe carpooling, or walking across.”
He took the 814 bus, from the “Tong Yan Expressway” into Beijing, usually up to drive more than an hour. However, from the afternoon of January 7, Beijing, Hong Kong, Macao, Da Guang, Beijing-Shanghai and other highways in southern Beijing, began to check the nucleic acid test negative proof of people entering Beijing, Hebei Shijiazhuang, Xingtai trip track, people are to be advised to return.
Commuters like Lu Ming, who commutes around Beijing from Hebei, need three proofs – proof of residence in the Beijing-ring area, proof of working in Beijing, and proof of negative nucleic acid tests within 14 days. In addition, if it is a recent first-time commuter or a non-commuter who needs to enter Beijing, he or she must prepare a negative nucleic acid test certificate within 72 hours.
“Although it belongs to Hebei, we have no associated cases or confirmed cases on our side and are far from where the outbreak occurred. “Lu Ming said he never thought that one day he would have such a hard time making a trip to the office.
In Yanjiao, there are at least hundreds of thousands, like Lu Ming, who travel to and from Yanjiao and Beijing to work as a laborer.
At 8 a.m. on Jan. 9, Lu Ming went to a nucleic acid testing site in Yanjiao and waited in line. He found that most of the people waiting for the nucleic acid test were waiting to go to work in Beijing. He did not expect so many people, “then five windows were opened one after another”, he queued for one hour.
After getting the negative result of the nucleic acid test, Lu Ming can go to his community to apply for a certificate of residence. He needed to submit five other documents: a letter from his workplace, the original real estate license or lease agreement, his ID card, a green code for the Hebei Health Code, and a green code for the 14-day trip code.
All weekend, he anxiously awaited the results of the nucleic acid test. He also began to wonder if he should try to get to Beijing first on Sunday night.
On the evening of Jan. 10, he got his negative nucleic acid certificate and set off. Just get on the bus, the driver reminded, no “three certificates” of people, you do not have to take the bus, now into the Beijing will have to check the documents. Lu Ming did not get up to leave, although not to do the other “two certificates”, but he wanted to try. There are almost two kilometers from the checkpoint, the bus stopped, in front of a long line of vehicles of all sizes that can not see the head. “There are 20 to 30 buses, each with about a dozen people. “Lu Ming recalled.
Lu Ming and the five or six people on the bus decided to walk to the checkpoint and see if they could pass. In front of the checkpoint, another temporary checkpoint was set up with about five or six staff members. Lu Ming first showed his ID card, and the information showed the location of his first job, Xingtai, Hebei.
He was stopped. The staff told him that the ID card is Hebei Xingtai, all can not pass. “No proof of anything is useful, as long as the ID card shows that it is from Xingtai, it won’t work. “He was a little angry, “I haven’t been back to Xingtai for years, how come I can’t? “
Similar situation around there is an old couple. The two people are not sure about the relevant policies, temporary to Yanjiao business, back to Beijing at night, but also have to show “three certificates”. Lu Ming recalled that the two old people said, “We don’t have a house in Yanjiao, so where do we go to get a residence permit? The two seniors said, “We don’t have a house in Yanjiao, where can we get a residence permit? The staff replied that they could only do so on request.
On the return bus ride, he heard the driver say that only nine people passed the inspection after pulling a busload of people to Beijing in the afternoon.
(Zhang Ke, Wang Mu and Lu Ming are pseudonyms in the article)
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