Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2020)
ASIA / PACIFIC June 1, 2020 THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 5 Street dog helps see Chinese nurse through virus traumas BEIJING (AP) — Zhang Dan was among the first to respond to the call for help in China’s coronavirus epi- center. The 36-year-old nurse worked through gruelling days, ministering to patients who needed assistance from breathing to merely eating. She struggled — but then, a little street dog helped her through. Zhang was among 42,600 medical workers brought from around China to bolster Wuhan’s overwhelmed medical system. Hospitals were crammed with patients and field clinics were thrown up to handle the overflow. “I can’t save the world, but I can try my best with my tiny efforts to do what I can do to help,” Zhang said. Her parents and grandparents worried about her decision to volunteer — and she herself prepared for the worst. She purchased life insurance that would benefit her parents if she succumbed to the illness. Having no children, she figured her husband could start over if she died. Her husband having returned to his home province for the Lunar New Year holiday, Zhang’s mother moved into their apartment in the city of Changchun to look after her plants and four dogs. Zhang and the rest of her 133-member team had one day of orientation in early February before they were thrown into the fray. NURSE’S AID. Chinese nurse Zhang Dan poses for a photo while working at the Tongji hospital in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province. Zhang was among the first to respond to the call for help in China’s coronavirus epicenter. The 36-year-old nurse worked through gruelling days, minis- tering to patients who needed assistance from breathing to merely eating. She struggled — but then, a little street dog helped her through. (Zhang Dan via AP) It took 40 minutes to don the pro- she said. It was all so overwhelming. And tective gear: four layers of protective gowns and gloves, three layers of shoe then the pooch came along. covers, two hats, two pairs of masks, The small, yellowish street dog had goggles, and a face shield. To avoid caught Zhang’s eye during her walks. bathroom breaks, they wore adult Always with her tail between her diapers so they wouldn’t waste time legs, she wolfed down the ham Zhang or gear by taking off the layers and offered. She named her Doudou, or having to dispose them. “bean.” The work soon extended to Feeding Doudou became a welcome providing daily life care for the mostly distraction, and a daily preoccupa- elderly patients who were without tion. In frigid winter temperatures, family members to help them. Zhang she made the dog a vest from part of sang to the patients to try to raise her scrubs. their spirits, and washed their hair By mid-March, teams such as and feet. Zhang’s were beginning to pack up. “We bought food if they needed it, Little Doudou was going to need a soap, toothpaste, and towels, and permanent home. Zhang posted video Continued on page 11 medicine when there was a shortage,” Virus diary: In Hong Kong lockdown, watched by a wristband By Zen Soo The Associated Press ONG KONG — It took only a few seconds. Shortly after I stepped off a flight from Singapore, an official at the Hong Kong immigration counter gestured for me to extend my arm, then strapped a bulky plastic box to my wrist. And just like that, I had a new companion for the next 14 days of self-isolation — a government quarantine tracker. In online pictures, the trackers were inconspicuous devices almost like a concert wristband. Those didn’t look so bad. What I got, though, was a gadget about the size of a deck of cards that I had to pair with a government quarantine app. After that, if I left my home or stepped more than 30 feet from my phone for a prolonged period of time, the app would alert authorities that I may have broken quarantine. The bulky tracker turned out to be a new version released after Hong Kong admitted that only a third of the first-generation wristbands actually worked. The rest simply never activated. On the taxi ride home, I examined it closely. The tracker hardly looked like a high-tech device meant to keep tabs on me. It was so light that I wondered if maybe it was an empty shell, a cheap fake to trick me into staying put. I wasn’t about to take it off to find out, even though having a tracker branded me as a potential risk to society, at least for two weeks. I found myself trying to hide it when I arrived at my apartment building, afraid others might see and shun me. Over the next two weeks, I wore the tracker in the shower, while exercising, and of course, to sleep. Sometimes I’d forget about it entirely. At other moments, the constant presence on my wrist was all I could feel, a perpetual reminder that I was a virtual prisoner in my home. It did make a handy conversation starter. When I showed it off at a friend’s Zoom birthday party, many giggled at the size of it. One attendee called it my ankle monitor. Despite the jokes, I was keenly aware that I was privileged to be in comfortable quarters, unlike some who had to quarantine in Hong Kong’s infamous cage homes — regular apartments effectively subdivided into tiny cells. But being in quarantine also frustrated me. I had to rely on the goodwill of my flatmate to help me buy groceries and the like, and I used food delivery services for most of my meals to avoid having to trouble her. Sometimes, I’d forget which day of the week it was. When I needed fresh air, I’d stick my head out of the one H LAUGHING PLANET IS OPEN Let your tastebuds travel — Laughing Planet offers global flavors from locally sourced ingredients. Treat yourself to something delicious and nutritious. Order online, over the phone, or through DoorDash. LaughingPlanet.com A LEADING TRUSTED FRANCHISOR OF COMMERCIAL CLEANING SERVICES, WANTS YOU! Own your own business today. No experience needed. Low cost start-up. In-house financing available. CALL TO FIND OUT HOW TODAY! (971) 371-5995 1-000-111-2222 MONITORED MOVEMENT. Associated Press reporter Zen Soo pokes her head out the window (top photo) for some fresh air while serv- ing her 14-day quarantine at home in Hong Kong. In the bottom photo, Soo walks along the Quarry Bay Promenade in Hong Kong on her first day of freedom after home quarantine. (AP Photos/Vincent Yu) window in my living room that wasn’t grilled shut, envying people walking freely outside. Since neither tracker nor app did much to attract attention, it was easy to forget I was under surveillance — at least, until an alert popped up on my iPhone to remind me the app was watching. On the third day of my quarantine, a government official called to check if I was at home. On the 10th day, two uniformed officers came knocking, asking me to show identification to prove I hadn’t gone anywhere. When the clock struck midnight on a Sunday in mid- April, my quarantine was over. Immediately, I snipped off the tracker and tapped the “Finish the quarantine” button in the app before uninstalling it. What a relief. Just to be sure, though, I got out a hammer and a screwdriver and cracked the tracker open, then removed the small circuit board inside and pulled out its battery. Free at last. Virus Diary, an occasional feature, showcases the coronavirus saga through the eyes of Associated Press journalists around the world. ® The Asian Reporter is published on the first Monday each month. News page advertising deadlines for our next three issues are: July 6, 2020 edition: Space reservations due: Wednesday, July 1 at 1:00pm Artwork due: Thursday, July 2 at 1:00pm August 3, 2020 edition: Space reservations due: Wednesday, July 29 at 1:00pm Artwork due: Thursday, July 30 at 1:00pm September 7, 2020 edition: Space reservations due: Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 1:00pm Artwork due: Thursday, Sept. 3 at 1:00pm For more information, contact our advertising department at (503) 283-4440 or e-mail <ads@asianreporter.com>.