How China’s Medical Personnel Deal With ‘Zero COVID’

On Jan. 4, the year’s first snow fell in Zhengzhou, central Henan province, whitening roofs and trees. In the house of Liu Qing, the pink camellias were in full bloom. But just like last year, Liu wasn’t home to enjoy the flowers. Her husband sent her some photos, and asked her to make sure to take care of herself.

Liu, 51, is the director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Zhengzhou People’s Hospital. She took a quick glance at her husband’s messages but had no time to reply. A day earlier, COVID-19 had reappeared in Zhengzhou, and the number of confirmed infections surged over the following days in a 17-day outbreak that would end up totaling 139 cases.

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