Have you ever been deprived of some of your rights? For the first time in my life, I was deprived of the right to come and go freely in Beijing. However, I am willing to justify this. I must comply with the various effective measures taken by China to stop the spread of a new coronavirus that appeared in the country in December last year: the COVID-19. These measures, including asking everyone to stay at home unless there is an absolute necessity for them to go out, were taken to protect the lives of the people, which, as Chinese President Xi Jinping said, take precedence over any other interest. The strict application of these measures is now having a positive impact. Statistics provided daily by the relevant health agencies in China show that the coronavirus does appear to be declining.

China may well have managed to contain the new epidemic. As I am writing this article, 24,778 patients have already been treated and cured of the virus out of a total of 77,262 people who have been infected. The number of domestic infections continues to decrease as the number of patients healed increases day by day. It was not that long ago that the number of people infected increased by more than 3,000 every day. These figures show that this epidemic can be brought under control and contained. For me, these numbers are reassuring.

Stay or go?

Right now, the decision to go back home in my country is not the best path to follow. As far as I am concerned, I have already made up my mind. Thanks to its strong mobilization capacity, I firmly believe that China is capable of winning the fight against the epidemic.

Think about it: what would happen if, after having returned home to Burundi and having been in contact with my wife, my little girl, my family members or any other Burundian citizen, symptoms of COVID-19 started to show among the people in my home? Whenever I wanted to go back, I asked myself this question. My country's health system is no better than that of China. I also asked this question to my family members when they begged me to come back. After having thought about it for a moment, they finally understood.

China has promised us that it can take care of us and I am confident it will be true to its words. Fortunately, the Government of Burundi has just confirmed that China has promised to strongly assist foreign students and Burundians in particular who are pursuing their studies in China during this special period.

Priority to life

Before the virus outbreak, life was good in Beijing in general, and at the Communication University of China in particular, where I study international journalism and communication. But as strict measures were put in place by the city authorities, life has changed.

I have seen that this country is ready to give up all other interests to save the lives of the people. I have seen how seeing another person on the road, on the bus or on the train had become a surprise in a city where thousands of people and luxury cars used to come and go from morning to night. China has preferred to temporarily shut down all public places, even those that generate large incomes just before, during and after the Chinese Lunar New Year. Traffic restriction measures have been strictly enforced and facial masks are now mandatory.

I have heard announcements of the closure of even iconic landmarks including the famous Great Wall of China, as well as the Tombs of the Ming Emperors and the famous Beijing National Stadium, known as the "Bird's Nest."

Precautions everywhere

My university strictly enforces these measures to prevent infection among foreign students living on campus. University staff perform daily health checks to ensure the safety of the students who are still living here. It was worrisome at first, but over time, it became strangely reassuring. For example, every foreign student must now undergo a daily temperature test to detect and identify suspected infection cases that need to be isolated, so that they can be sent to the hospital as quickly as possible.

If I want to go to the supermarket to buy food products, I have to first wear a mask and gloves. I also have to stop by the dormitory management office to sign before leaving and I must agree to return within two hours. An exit card is issued to the departing student before he is allowed to leave the building.

The procedure does not end there. Local authorities have put in place ways to detect and identify suspected infection cases even at the entrance of the supermarket. Not only must customers wear a mask and gloves, they must also undergo a temperature check before being allowed to enter the premises. So far, not one case has been identified within my university.

High efficiency

After understanding and seeing the effectiveness of these measures, it was easy to reassure my family and my acquaintances about my wellbeing. I told them know that while the situation on the ground is serious, I certainly do not take it lightly. I take all necessary health precautions in this regard. My university has made considerable efforts to ensure that international students are not only protected, but also cared for during this epidemic.

I stand by the Chinese people during this difficult time. Although many things are beyond my immediate control, I wish to be a person who spreads hope and sends positive energy during this difficult time.

As Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on February 20, China is fully confident of winning the battle against the epidemic at an early date. Effective measures taken by the government have helped control the spread of COVID-19 within China and also prevented the spread of the virus to other countries, giving the rest of the world more time to prepare for the epidemic. All of this proves that China is a responsible country.

The author is a student for Master's degree at the Communication University of China in Beijing

(Original Title: Up Against the Virus)

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