Journalist trapped in Wuhan, China risks life to report on coronavirus: Only On ABC-7
Above is a condensed version of the interview with Yunfei Zhao.
WUHAN, China -- When millions desperately fled the Chinese city of Wuhan, journalist Yunfei Zhao rushed toward the region now infamous as the first host of the Novel Coronavirus.
“You can travel in, but you cannot travel out," Zhao told ABC-7 in a Skype interview.
I first met Zhao when we were student journalists in Washington, D.C. After his studies at the University of Washington and Northwestern University, Zhao returned to China to report for the China Global Television Network.
"When there's breaking news, I have to come, because this is huge news for the world," “It’s a bit of an obligation as a professional journalist, given the fact that Wuhan is the field that I’m covering."
Below: Zhao shows the protection needed to enter a hospital in Wuhan.
Zhao and his team have remained in Wuhan since the city of 11 million people locked down on January 23d.
“It’s a transportation hub," Zhao said. "Wuhan is really in the center of the railway network - high-speed railway network of China... It’s a huge metropolis, but due to the suspension of operation, the city is basically turned into a quiet town."
"Do you have the virus?" I asked him.
“My colleagues, we’re all good," Zhao said. "So, none of my colleagues got infected, but definitely I’ve been speaking with a lot of people, including volunteers and medical staff. So far, I know that a couple of the volunteers I spoke with got infected.”
Zhao said the outbreak in Wuhan has drastically harmed the Chinese economy.
“Especially the small and medium enterprises in China - this is a definitely a huge hit for them," Zhao said. "For those students who are about to graduate from college, this year is going to be very hard for them."
Below: Zhao reports on doctors' efforts to provide a space to treat non-coronavirus patients in Wuhan.
As the outbreak spreads in the United States, Zhao cautions El Paso and Las Cruces residents to go to a doctor if they have any symptoms of the virus.
"Take the necessary precaution measures," Zhao said. "Avoid going to crowded places. Wash your hands thoroughly. It's just strategies that can prevent any type of infectious disease."
His team remains trapped in the city now infamous as the first host of the deadly virus, looking forward to covering the end of the epidemic.
“Hopefully, the city will get unlocked as soon as possible and resume operation," Zhao said. "We will do some after-the-fact reporting or maybe people celebrating the end of the epidemic."
