Clashes, comments prompt return home

Changing attitudes

Zhou Andi, who is studying for a Master of Business Administration in Bonn, Germany, has been paying attention to the pandemic in the country since early February, when several cases were confirmed in Munich.

About two weeks later, the 26-year-old bought 140 masks at a pharmacy and sent them to her father in China, who needed to return to work but could not find enough facial coverings.

In March, she saw a large group of people rush to the supermarket to buy as many items as possible, which caused shortages.

"I think people rushed to buy things out of an instinct to protect themselves, and items like toilet paper and flour can be stored for a long time," she said.

There were many jokes about panic-buying, and some bakeries even made cakes in the shape of toilet rolls as a satirical comment on the shortages.

"At the beginning, many people, including my (German) boyfriend, were indifferent to the virus because influenza kills more people every year in Germany than the total number of deaths (so far) caused by the virus. Also, most of the victims are quite elderly or people who are already ill," Zhou said.

However, she saw her boyfriend's attitude change in early April, when a friend of his mother became infected. The 50-year-old had difficulty breathing, but the hospital said she had mild symptoms so she was not admitted and just had to stay home and rest.

The woman was tearful every day, believing the hospital was ignoring her plight and that she would die.

As a result, Zhou's boyfriend and his parents began to worry about the virus and started wearing gloves and masks when they went out.

"I think people like my boyfriend's family don't feel fear until death strikes, and their minds can only be changed when a terrible case happens to someone close to them. Then, they start taking active protective measures," Zhou said.