Beijing in the Time of Coronavirus: No Traffic, Empty Parks and Fear

I'm worried about my family in China. Americans should be worried too, because it looks more and more likely to turn into a pandemic. At this point of time, is it really necessary to gloat, like many comments here demonstrate, over local Chinese government's failure to respond fast enough in the face of an unfamiliar, extremely contagious disease, and boast about the superiority of Western government style? They may have a slow start, but all can witness the tremendous efforts put up by the Chinese government AND the Chinese society. You'd better hope they succeed in containing the disease; it's already a global crisis. p.s. the Chinese public will not reject their political system, as long as there's a perceived external threat. Just google America's military bases around the Pacific. Don't tell me they are there for North Korea.

What struck me is the subway picture. Everyone has their face in their hand, staring at a screen. They all look entranced. Prisoners of their own making. Sorry folks, but I find that really sad for the human race.

This is a really well written article that captures how surreal it must be currently in one of the major normally bustling cities of the world. You get the sense of some fear as would be expected but mostly uncertainty as that is where things stand with this virus. It will likely burn out without major worldwide infections and deaths ( like SARS, MERS, Ebola) but we cannot be certain of that. Of course there is lack of clarity about what to do and how far to go to prevent its spread. What I'm baffled by though is that so many readers' comments are all about bashing the Chinese government or bashing the NYTimes for supposedly basing the Chinese government. I'd suggest reading the article again.

Poor fat Pooh. Doesn't know what to do. Issuing proclamations don't work. The Virus won't fall in line like a Party dork. Pity poor Pooh...

Better propaganda is not going to take care the problem! Communist propaganda only make things worst. Please allow the Chinese people and people of the world to have a break. Wake up stupid Chinese Communist Party secretaries. I grew up in Beiping from the warlord era and went to school during during the Japanese occupation era from 1937-1945 and witnessed the civil war period from 1946-1949. Now after 70 years of Chinese communist leadership everything is getting to hopeless and helpless. Now is about time for someone else together with our American friends to help China to build a better and healthy future for Chinese people. Xi Jinping and his 89 million CCP members must step aside for a while until things getting better and we will reevaluate the whole situation. CCP you have your term to control the Chinese people for 70 years and now you should allow someone else to figure out what will be the best for the Chinese people. OK? America will never be the colonial ruler of China. I know that. Chinese people will be the judge. President may not interested to touch this hot potato in China. Don't let Apple stores in China to suffer. I owned two Apple cell phones and some stocks too. I hate to see the Apple stores in China are going to disappeared. More Apple stores are better for China. Hwawei is not going to work. Coronavirus is a big mess and America is trying to help Chinese people.

The party is warm hearted, a guard is quoted as telling those who will be quarantined. The Communist Party of China is not warm hearted. It is responsible for refusing to acknowledge what the whole world knows; China is ground zero for a massive pandemic. The Chinese people are innocent but their unelected Dear Leaders, the Leaders of the Proletariat, are interested in only one thing: power. They are rooting out any trouble makers who dare to question their legitimacy and history of denial. China is unraveling. They are taking the world down with them. This will get much worse before it gets better. And, no, there is no cure in sight.

Overall deaths in China in Feb 2020 will likely be lower than in Feb 2019 - due to reduced deadly vehicle accidents ; including those with bicyclists and pedestrians . **** Hospital admissions in Wuhan will likely be much higher **** Worldwide deaths from the seasonal flu may also decline in March & April 2020 ;when populations increase the use of the recommended hand washing protocols that many of us often choose to ignore .

Americans would rebel, even if there was a risk. The common responses being something like,"Fake news, I haven't been sick in 20 years, I drink ACV..."

I've stayed inside my home 3 days during a snowstorm and gone stir crazy while healthy; I can't imagine how millions of people are following these rules and staying inside, wondering if they're going to come down with this virus. Very unnerving.

They do not have the medical infrastructure to handle their population. They are trying to do things for the population on the cheap. They want to excel in a world race. They need to stabilize their own population, which historically they have not done, first.

Chinese people have lived under authoritarian rules for thousands of years. They are used to following the dictates of the rulers for doing otherwise could lead to death. In this particular case, they can die from breaking the rules or catching the virus, hence, the emptied streets and malls. This level of civil obedience is probably impossible to achieve in free societies such as ours.

Telling residents of Chinese mega-cities to 'avoid crowded places' is a joke right? Unless everyone in Beijing and other cities sleeps on beds of rice sacks and is content drinking just tap water then the crowded places will not stay empty for much longer.

Empty streets, empty parks, fear....sounds like Cleveland after seven o clock. At any rate, China's default is a) lots of orders from all quarters and b) most orders being ignored or evaded. Like the warning in the apartment complex that anyone coming from Hubei would be sent to quarantine by the order of nobody in particular. What guard is going to get close enough to them to force them out? None, and the Hubeiren will be allowed to be in their own apartment, staying in like everyone else.

This is the kind of reaction and coordination we need to face climate change. Everybody working together against a common foe - changing our behaviour. We don’t have much time.

seasonal flu kills thousands every year. chill out.