Tested positive for Covid-19 the week of April 4 at his home in Shanghai (China), Thomas, a 28-year-old Frenchman, was taken without his consent to one of the quarantine centers set up by the Chinese authorities. to try to stem the resumption of the epidemic. It is a huge convention center that has been converted into what Thomas calls “a quarantine camp”. The sports teacher tells franceinfo about his experience, which lasted seven days.
#Shanghai this is what a quarantine center looks like for people who test positive (thanks Thomas) pic.twitter.com/i4PPf4Bwd9
— Seb Berriot (@SBerriot) April 12, 2022
In this center, hundreds of wooden beds on three floors are lined up. Some are positioned side by side, others are separated by small plastic partitions. The quarantine center where Thomas was transported is located right next to one of the Hilton hotels in the Chinese megalopolis, but the daily life inside has really nothing to do with that of the luxury establishment. Living conditions there are harsh.
Adults, children and the elderly mingle in this centre. Because of the 24-hour light, it is very difficult to get to sleep. “It’s industrial floodlights on day and night that prevent us from sleeping. It’s very hard to bear”, explains Thomas. Also, there is no window. “You can’t even see if it’s day or night.” The mask is mandatory at all times, including during sleep.
“People there are sick. They cough and spit in their bins every three or four seconds. It wakes me up all night. For me that’s the worst thing, the sound of spitting. It’s really disgusting.”
Thomas, French in quarantine in Shanghaiat franceinfo
Hygiene conditions are also precarious. Without a shower available for five days, Thomas says he washed at the tap with a basin. There is no soap either: the Frenchman had to make do with hydroalcoholic gel, especially to wash his hair. To ensure a minimum of privacy, it was hidden under his blanket that he changed his hand-washed clothes.
Thomas lived through seven days of stress, thinking about his cat, left alone in his apartment when he was evacuated. In a totally confined city, no one was able to come to the residence to take care of their pet. “It’s extremely hard, I even thought about escaping. I told myself that I wouldn’t see a big difference between that and prison.”
The Frenchman nevertheless ended up reasoning with himself. “You have to try to stay calm, especially in the morning, because everyone is tense.” The Frenchman was finally able to leave on Tuesday April 12, after having tested negative at least three times. He found his cat, fortunately in good health.