Clashes, comments prompt return home

Return

Zou Shuyue, a journalism student in London, said unfriendly behavior by some locals toward people wearing masks was one of the factors prompting Chinese students to return home.

"I was walking on the street and a stranger came close to me and yelled 'coronavirus' along with some dirty words, which shocked me a lot," the 20-year-old said.

He had paid attention to the development of the virus since January, but the situation in the UK really began to deteriorate in March.

He said his Chinese friends were very concerned, but many locals in the UK didn't take the situation seriously.

"We were very afraid because we knew how hard things had been in China since late January, both from news reports and conversations with friends. I believe people who know how dangerous the virus is are not satisfied with the control and prevention measures announced by the UK government," he said.

In February, like many of his friends, Zou stocked up on daily necessities, masks and disinfectant, and also asked relatives in China to send masks through the post.

When he spoke with students who planned to return home, the comment he heard most was that they "felt much safer in China than in the UK".

"Local prevention and control measures disappointed a lot of people, resulting in them facing the virus in a panic. Also, I thought the UK's public health system was ill-equipped to cope with widespread infection, although the ExCel Center in London was being transformed into a Nightingale Hospital," he said.

The hospital, a 4,000-bed makeshift facility, started admitting patients on April 7, but it is expected to close on Friday after being deemed surplus to requirements.

Zou started planning to return to China on March 14 as he waited for his school to suspend activities, and he finally arrived in Shanghai on March 21.

The journey took about 65 hours, including 22 hours waiting to transfer at Hong Kong International Airport.

Zou wore protective gear all the way and only ate and drank a few times because he was concerned about exposure in open places.

To his disappointment, he found some netizens on social media platforms were hostile to students returning from overseas.

"It is everyone's personal choice to study abroad. Our decision to return to China at this hard time does not mean we should be condemned or suffer unfair treatment like this," he said.

"Some of the words are so mean and hurtful, showing no sympathy for those who have shouldered huge physical and mental pressure during dozens of hours of travel just to get home."