Welcome to quarantine.
Really it is just being stuck in an average Chinese hotel room for 14 days. Food delivered to your door 3 times a day.
But so far – no housekeeping. Trying to figure out how to wash my clothes and sheets and the floor – but will get there step by step.
So since the last video blog, I am in the room. They added me into a Wechat group with all the others in the hotel, and there are 56 (well the number in the group keeps increasing) with about 5 staff / doctors / admin overseeing the group and people’s requests.
6 times per day I need to take my temperature and share the results in this group. The admin then record it and take the daily average.
For me, stuck in the room is the same as if I was in my home office in Thailand to be honest- I work at home and I work online. Just miss the occasional walk – and especially the time picking up kids at school and playing Uno cards with them, etc.
The Test
At around 2pm, the hotel room’s phone rang, it was another guest staying here speaking in English. He said the workers can’t speak Chinese so they asked him to call me. There will be someone coming in my room to conduct a Coronavirus test on me, and not to be afraid.
They will enter the room in the next 5 minutes.
And yes, after exactly 5 minutes, a knock on my door. A full hazmat suit with like a bug head helmet entered. She didn’t want to be on camera so only a quick clip of her. Asked me to sit down, with the light from the window on my face.
Then she put a long cotton swap down my throat to my tonsils and asked me to go “ahhh” and then she twirled it around a bit. Took it out, placed it in a vile, and left.
That was much easier than anticipated.
Still working while on quarantine
Back to work, full day of trying to catch up on works – the whole import/export of masks and other health supplies has been intense. Multiple Wechat calls, groups.
I’m also in a Wechat group of other foreigners in various quarantines in China. Also had a call with my friend Dylan who is in Hong Kong quarantine.
It all happened so fast we are not sure how we even got here.
My wife has been amazing, as usual. They are allowing outsiders to mail or deliver food and goods to those in quarantine. She sent a whole bunch of eggs and other food with a food delivery service. She then packed up a bunch of warm clothes (remember, I flew from Cebu, Philippines with only a couple set of shorts and short sleeve shirts – borrowing some pants from Josh) as well as other supplies from vitamins to face wash, etc.
Getting anxious
Sitting in this room I am starting to get anxious.
Hopefully I can calm my mind and adapt to being locked in a hotel room for a half a month.
Will be doing a few live webinars for free on GlobalFromAsia dot com /slash webinar dash coronavirus/ later this week and probably more next week – so many people want to get involved and support on this masks / health supplies to the whole world from China.
Getting reports from more friends coming back to China getting into quarantine. It is an intense time for all of us.
I know for sure, I will not come out of this the same. I will come out of this stronger and a new person. Hope others have that mindset and attitude as well, need to stay healthy not only in the body but in the mind. Tragic times.