Seattle Amazon worker stuck in China coronavirus quarantine for 5 weeks
Mar 4, 2020, 2:14 PM
Workers go door to door to check the temperature of residents during a health screening campaign. (Cheng Min/Xinhua via AP)
(Cheng Min/Xinhua via AP)
What does living through a 40 day quarantine teach you?
“I really appreciate being healthy,” said Wenlin, a Seattle Amazon worker who’s been stuck in quarantine in China since January.
She’s worked as a software developer for Amazon in Seattle since 2010, and remains employed by the local tech giant.
She traveled back to her family’s village outside Wuhan back on January 20 for Lunar New Year — her village, Tianmen, is 100 miles away from Wuhan. For reference, that’s halfway to Portland from Seattle.
Despite never setting foot in Wuhan, Wenlin has been quarantined in China for the last 40 days, exhibiting no symptoms. It’s an experience she likens to something far worse than simply being isolated.
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“Overall my experience with quarantine was like house arrest,” Wenlin told KIRO Radio’s Gee and Ursula Show.
She’s currently not allowed to leave her residence, with goods being delivered to her door by volunteers.
Wenlin also told KIRO Radio that the barber in her village contracted coronavirus and died, but none of her family has been infected. She credits that to the home quarantine — and being 100 miles away from the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan.
When asked what message Wenlin has for Seattleites still skeptical about how serious the virus is, she offered some context.
“What we did wrong here in Wuhan is that we found it out too late,” she said. “A lot of people got into severe condition because they didn’t get proper care in the beginning. It’s very crucial to slow down the virus.”
So, how does Wenlin stay positive as she’s been stuck in one place for five weeks?
“For a quarantine, you will find you have a lot of time for yourself, and a lot of time for your family,” she said.
In another few days, assuming she remains symptom-free, she’ll be allowed to return back to the United States.
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