REDSTAR Hangzhou March 2020

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MEDIA
OUTBREAK:
THE VIRAL
REACTION
ABROAD
By Eleonora Bollini
COVID-19, or as it was more commonly known, the Coronavirus. It has been
just about impossible to not have heard this word sounding through the
massive news coverage about its outbreak and the impact it has had on China.
For weeks, all around the world the media were almost exclusively talking
about it, covering it from every angle imaginable. But there were some
strong differences between what was happening here and how it was being
reported… I am not talking about a cover up, but the way it was blown out of
proportion in the media coverage abroad, specifically in Italy—being Italian,
I was very aware of how frenzied the media coverage was there.
Here in China, everything started
around the middle of January, and
it quickly turned chaotic. The news
poured onto our phones through
social feeds like an avalanche. We started
reading more about it and everyone was
encouraged to stay inside, avoid crowded
places, and only go out if absolutely
necessary. Nobody expected what would
happen next. After a week, more cities
started closing off and the whole province
of Hubei was quarantined, transportations
were suspended and the suggestion of
staying at home was no longer merely
advice. While we were now required to stay
home by the government, it was upheld,
more than anything, by fear.
During the first days, everyone had lots of
questions and worries, but there were no
answers. The source of the virus was not sure,
and nobody knew what had kicked off the
epidemic. It is unfortunate that the Wuhan
government underestimated the problem
at the very beginning, and this did likely
contribute to the speed it spread across
China. Chinese media had been clear on the
severity of this outbreak from that point on,
and were very open with facts and statistics.
Of course, with all the bad news flooding in,
there were also some good updates, such
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