Israeli Dad Writes about Life in Quarantined Chinese City

February 7, 2020 Cnaan Liphshiz

Two policemen stand guard outside a hotel in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province. (Feature China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images, provided by JTA)

Like many parents when their smallchildren are under the weather, Ofer Dekel measures his boy’s temperaturefrequently.

Butin Dekel’s case, his concern for his son, Liam, is exacerbated by living at theepicenter of the coronavirus epidemic: Wuhan, China.

Dekelis a 56-year-old businessman originally from the Israeli city of Haifa He haslived in Wuhan for many years with his Chinese wife, Nana, who is the mother ofhis two youngest children, both of whom are under 10.

Authoritieshave placed the city under lockdown to stop the spread of the virus. Anyonewhose temperature rises higher than 99.32 degrees Fahrenheit is sent to largequarantine centers.

On Friday morning, Feb. 7, Liam’stemperature rose to 98.6 degrees.

“Iwill do whatever I can so that we spend this Shabbat together at home,” Dekel wrote onFacebook.

Dekelhas been writing in Hebrew on Facebook several times a day, giving an intimateperspective, complete with videos and photographs, of how his Chinese-Israelifamily is coping. He worries about Liam’s temperature, isolation, caring forhis lonely neighbors and friends, and securing supplies with minimalinteraction with the infected outside world.

“Wejust heard the decision was changed: There won’t be house inspections to notrisk transmitting the virus. We’re required to report daily if anyone’stemperature raises beyond 37.4 °C [99.32 °F]. That pressure’s off,” he wroteFeb. 7. His followers responded with hundreds of tips on how to keep the boy’stemperature down.

Earlierin the week, Dekel wrote about running a high fever himself and his concern thathe had contracted the virus. The fever eventually broke, appearing to benothing more serious than a common flu.

Asof Feb. 7, Chinese government figures showed the virus had killed at least 636people and infected at least 31,161, and many believe those official statisticsare far from complete, the New York Times reported.The fatality rate for Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, as a whole was2.8 percent as of Feb. 6.

Thescare has prompted several major airlines, including KLM and Air France, tosuspend flights to all of China, affecting trade. The virus has spread to othercountries in Asia and beyond.

Peoplewith a fever in Wuhan are now moved to an observation center, where healthministry personnel determine who has the virus and who has an unrelated feverand can be discharged.

“Theproblem is that in the observation facility, one is surrounded by hundreds ofsick people, some of them are bound to be infected with the virus,” Dekelwrote. “I can’t imagine seeing my boy transferred to such a facility.”

Dekel’sfamily has been required to stay indoors for the past 16 days, and have hadonly a few brief opportunities to go outside to stock up on food. On Feb. 6,Dekel wrote humorously about the “miracles” that his family is blessed withwhile inside. One was the “Bamba miracle” — the discovery of a forgotten bag ofthe popular Israeli peanut-flavored corn snack.

Anotherwas what Dekel called “the mask miracle.”

“Nanacleaned the closets and found a surgeons mask and goggles that she forgot she’deven bought, at the time to protect her face while cooking,” he wrote. “Thanksto that mask, Nana can go outside and stock up on food. We’re not hungry herebut food is running out and we need to buy. There are no home deliveries. Nanawill be able to come out protected and bring back food.”

Tensionsare beginning to form around Dekel’s vegetarianism, which is a challenge becauseit means he can’t eat canned meat.

Inone passage about this, Dekel wrote: “‘You’re causing food problems,’ Nana saystiredly before we turn in. ‘All the yummy food is for you because you don’t eatmeat. Vegetables are as rare as diamonds now, and you get to have 80% of thediamonds.’”

Last week, residents organized asolidarity action in which millions of people stood near their shut glasswindows in the evening, and chanted: “Wuhanjia yu,” which translates to “Go, Wuhan, go,” Dekel wrote.

Thegesture, which thundered through the city’s deserted streets and into itsresidents’ homes, moved him to tears, he wrote.

OnJan. 24, Dekel and Liam flew an Israeli flag outside their window after hearingthat Israel is not aware of any Israelis living in Wuhan.

“I want people to know we are here and that Israel is also a part of this,” Dekel wrote.

Cnaan Liphiz writes for the JTA global news source.