BAHRAINI students who returned from China have revealed details of their chilling journey back home following the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.
They described living in fear and being confined to their apartments for weeks prior to arriving in Bahrain, with dwindling food supplies as panic spread across different cities in China.
The virus, which is similar to the fatal severe respiratory syndrome (Sars), first emerged in Wuhan, with the latest reports showing that more than 4,500 people have been infected with the death toll reaching 100.
Videos circulated online showed the group of Bahraini students holding multiple passports at an airport in China, while other footage showed them wearing masks upon their arrival in Bahrain.
One of them, a 24-year-old medical student, was among a group of nearly 30 students who flew back to Bahrain late Monday night, while the GDN learned that other groups are arranging to return home this week.
The Bahraini woman, who wished to be identified only as Eman, recounted how they had their temperatures measured at the airport in China and were provided with documents clearing them for travel.
“The situation was frenzied and panicked and we communicated with our parents who booked our tickets because the situation was worsening and more cases were being discovered,” she told the GDN.
“We were extremely frightened and we took an eight and a half hour flight from Xian to Dubai and then to Bahrain, wearing masks and gloves and using antibacterial soap and wipes.
“We kept changing our masks and continually washing our hands and we checked online in as a group to avoid delays.”
Upon arrival in Dubai, two nurses waited for the passengers at the door of the airplane to check their temperatures and provide them with medical guidelines.
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“As soon as they were made aware we arrived from China it sparked fear among them and they immediately distributed masks for the customs staff,” she added.
“When we arrived in Bahrain we had to fill out around five forms provided by nurses at the door of the plane and we had our temperatures checked while a Bahraini doctor arrived to give us information.”
She said the group of students were living in fear and were confined to their apartments in Xian city in the Shaanxi Province, which is around 900km away from Wuhan, as the death toll increased with no clear response from authorities.
“I’m extremely worried but I’m trying to remain optimistic because I only have four months to graduate and now my fate is unknown,” she said.
“It’s like living in the dark as we don’t know what lies ahead and we’re extremely exhausted, both physically and psychologically, and we feel lost.”
Another group of Bahraini students, who are currently in Nanjing, have booked one-way tickets back to Bahrain and are expected to arrive on Thursday.
One of them, also a 24-year-old woman, said they were in limbo as no concrete information was available about when they could return to complete their studies.
“We’ve prepared our masks and anti-bacterial wipes to disinfect ourselves regularly while on the journey home,” she told the GDN from Nanjing.
“We’re a group of five coming back together on Thursday morning and our families are extremely worried about us.
“I’m not sure what the fate of our studies will be and we weren’t given any information about when we can resume our studies – we feel lost.”
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Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry yesterday said that Bahrain’s diplomatic mission in Beijing continued to provide support to all Bahrainis currently present in China.
“The mission is in constant contact with the cultural attache to follow up on students’ affairs to overcome all the difficulties that they may face if they wish to leave China,” said the ministry in a statement.
Bahrain’s Health Ministry has also urged the public to report any suspected cases of Coronavirus infection to the Disease Control Section hotline on 66399868.
reem@gdn.com.bh
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