Adham Al-Sayed is a Lebanese student who left his home in Barja, Lebanon, five years ago to pursue his university studies in Wuhan, China.
“We who suffer wherever we go,” this is how Adham, pointing out at the Lebanese people, started one of his live Facebook videos, in which he documents his everyday life after the spread of Coronavirus in Wuhan.
His purpose, however, goes beyond just documenting. This university student wants to ease the world’s panic towards this extraordinary event. He also wants to put the stigma that was born with this virus to an end.
Al-Sayed’s mission is to prove that China is doing the best it can to control the situation and that people will be safe as long as they follow the city’s instructions.
“Everything is under control,” he says as he walks Wuhan’s streets, “the main thing is that I have my face mask on. Going out without this mask is now illegal.”
There’s also a routine he has to follow as soon as he gets back inside, like washing and sterilizing his hands, drinking ginger tea or Yansoun, etc.
However, Adham admits that life in the city has become really challenging. Things are under control, but this comes with a price.
People don’t go out unless it is absolutely necessary, the streets are cleaner and more empty than they’ve ever been, and there are never any cars in sight. If someone needs to go somewhere, they have to go on foot.
On an interview he did on January 30, the Lebanese student affirmed that the city has been fully closed for more than a week. Again, there’s no mode of transportation whatsoever, and places that used to host an abundance of people are closed, including schools and universities.
Sure, the streets are all empty, but it’s not due to fear or panic, because they are safe as they could be, according to him. People are committed to the instructions, and they follow them religiously so that all those infected can get treated as soon as possible, without infecting others.
Wuhan is building hospitals to help fight this virus effectively and quickly. Adham also confirmed what the world already knows; the Coronavirus is having a very negative effect on China’s economy since so many businesses are shut down and people are hostages of their own homes.
That, with the exception of a limited number of stores and pharmacies that are still available to meet the people’s needs.
When asked in his interview with Al-Jadeed why he isn’t trying to leave and come back home to Lebanon, Adham responded that staying in the city and following the rules is easier and safer than leaving.
For one, it takes 14 days for the symptoms to appear, and Adham wouldn’t put his family and his country in such danger, in case he arrived infected.
Second, Lebanon doesn’t have the potential to fight the Coronavirus, whilst in China, the government can build a hospital in 10 days in case of an emergency, like it just did.
The student also admits that since leaving Lebanon, Wuhan helped him evolve. “It’s a misfortune that such a catastrophe happened here, but at least I have experience from my life in Lebanon to fight for my survival.”
Adham posted several live vlogs and informative videos on his Facebook account and has done many interviews with Arab and Lebanese channels.
He’s doing a great job keeping people informed and showing how people in China are supporting each other in these difficult times. Take a look:
His message is showing “the real Wuhan,” the city that welcomed him and helped him learn and grow. That, as well as keeping his fellow Lebanese in check of what’s going on in his country of residence.
Noting that, at the end of December, public health officials from China informed the World Health Organization about a new virus causing illness in the city of Wuhan.
It was quickly determined that it was Coronavirus and that it was rapidly spreading through and outside China, which has prompted WHO to declare it a global health emergency a few days ago. Watch one of Adham Al Sayed’s videos:
