The coronavirus has been confirmed in more than 25 countries and territories since it was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December. In a way, it has also touched Weng Chen, the creative mind behind The Messycow Comics. The artist from Wuhan said that some of her friends had been fighting it and suffering in hospitals. Fortunately, all of the people close to her are fine now.
Focusing on the bright side, Chen ‘conducted’ a few fictional interviews from the epicenter of the outbreak. “At the time [I made this comic], I thought the virus was under control. But I’ve got more inside information these days and it’s depressing,” the artist said. “Anyway, just want to share it with you. I’m on my way to making more comics about it. Stay healthy, my friends.”
"I was born in Wuhan and lived there until I was 18," Weng told Bored Panda. "Wuhan is a middle-sized city, the capital of Hubei province. Although 'middle-sized', there are over 10 million people in the are. It's very big, the three regions are divided by the long river and connected by highways, bridges, and subways. I stayed mostly at home and school when growing up, and have fond memories of the food, my friends and family, and the shades of endless sycamore trees."
Now, things have changed. "The quarantine happened abruptly. Before that, most people were not aware of the severity of the situation. People are simply staying at home and waiting for the epidemic to pass. Schools and most businesses are closed. All public and private transportation are stopped/limited."
"More and more people are getting sick, the medical supplies are short, there are not enough hospital beds. They are trying to build more hospitals and get more health supplies, but the lives of the sick people (not just the people who are infected by the virus, but all people with illnesses or in need of medical help) are at risk."
The artist highlighted that she made this comic about a week ago, when the situation wasn't as bad, and most people including her were feeling confident that it would be controlled and fought off quickly. Kinda like Sars. "But now it seems that the virus is still spreading ... I'm feeling more heavy-hearted than a week ago. I've made more comics in Chinese since then to address the situation. as well. I hope more people be aware of what's happening in Wuhan and Hubei."
Image credits: Messycow
As of this article, the coronavirus has killed at least 427 and infected 20,645 people globally. The vast majority of these cases are within China and concentrated in Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak. Only two deaths have been confirmed abroad: one in the Philippines and one in Hong Kong.
The good news is that there have also been reports of recovering patients. For example, according to the government of Singapore, most of the country's residents who contracted the virus are stabilized and improving. Moreover, the first confirmed case in the US has been discharged from a hospital in Washington state.
Also, scientists at a UK public health authority investigating the coronavirus have just discovered that the virus has not evolved “to better infect humans” since its genome's first sequencing in China.
Meanwhile, countries are continuing to evacuate their citizens out of Wuhan, placing travel restrictions on visitors from China. A number of these actions -- specifically from the US -- have angered Beijing.
Circling back to the quarantine, almost 60 million people are currently under lockdown in China. And in Japan, an entire cruise ship with more than 3,000 people is quarantined in a port after a former passenger was found infected a few days ago.
The artist also shared her two cents on the issue
