Kenyans in Wuhan tell of ordeal after three-month quarantine

Nelson Odiwuor is a postgraduate student at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

He arrived at Wuhan Institute of Virology, an affiliate of the Beijing-based the academy of sciences, in December last year for practicals.

Wuhan, a city of 11 million people with a 24-hour economy, turned out to be the epicentre of coronavirus, now referred to as Covid-19.

Odiwuor, a 25-year-old Jomo Kenyatta University graduate, told the Star: “I was new here and had not made friends apart from Kenyans whom I knew stayed here. I was still excited to travel around and then the Chinese government restricted the movements of people.” 

Odiwuor and his fellow Kenyans did not know that the pandemic was exploding.

In a couple of weeks, the government ordered all vehicles out of the roads and air transport was grounded, he said.

“And that is when it became scary and tough. I couldn’t access transport. My social life changed. I had to rely on the Wuhan institute for all supplies.” 

Odiwuor is one of the 120 Kenyan students locked down in Wuhan for the last three months. Until a few days ago, the city was reporting Covid-19 deaths and new infections in their hundreds on a daily basis.

“We are happy to say that last Friday (March 20) was the first day we were told that no coronavirus infection was reported. Thanks to the authorities for responding fast,” he said.

The city they had just started calling home, was scary due to the spread of the virus, increased police officers on patrol, increased screening and lack of basic items.

Some of the Kenyans were students while others were on a few weeks internship.

The thousands of deaths and new infections, as well as stigma, made some of them believe they would die. Family and friends at home were calling more than three times a day to pray for and check on them.

According to the vice-president of the Wuhan Association of Kenyan Students Raphael Ohuru, they were all terrified, unsure of tomorrow.

The students couldn’t come home due to the lockdown. And they didn’t know much about the disease. They were hungry, had no money and never thought of social life. All they were worried about was their future.

There was no one to show them how to survive in the sprawling capital of Hubei province with rivers, lakes and parks.

With retail shops closed and without money, some of them remained hungry. They had no credit to call and survived on noodles until the Kenyan government provided food and pocket money.

“Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is rolled flat and cut, stretched or extruded, into long strips or strings,” Ohuru said by phone.

Small amounts of food started arriving after agitation by Kenyans on social media pushed the government to provide them with basic needs.

“We had to forget about our Kenyan lifestyle and adapt. I have not played football, nor gone out for a movie,” Ohuru said.

“Those who lived at the institute were lucky but those who lived outside, especially those with families went through hell.”

Ohuru spent time reading, in laboratories researching on the virus and playing chess with my Kenyan friends. It was the toughest point in his life.

Ohuru is among the four Kenyan students at Wuhan Institute of Virology.

“Spreading false information is bad and made people panic. Spreading fear is not good,” Odiwour said. 

“Your mind is your health and if it’s not okay you are not healthy.”

There was hardly any information from outside since they are quarantined. Much of what they got to know came from parents who called at least twice every day. They also spent a lot of time praying.

Caroline Muema, another master of Science in Medical Microbiology student, told the Star that they have been eating from their rooms for the last three months.

“Self-isolation or quarantine made me eat alone, something I am not used to. I pick the food from the eatery and eat alone in my room,” Muema said.

A worn-out Odiwuor told the Star on Saturday at 11pm Kenyan time as he left the laboratory that coronavirus was among the microorganisms they have been working on.

“We are happy that we have made discoveries that will be published soon and provide a solution to the disease,” he said.

“We were scared and at times I would spend time in books to ease the tension.  I  slept and woke up anytime and headed to the laboratory. I developed my research paper so I know what to do.”

Odiwour was among researchers working on and developing a probable cure of Covid-19.

“I can say our team managed to identify the virus. The research has gone for preprint before it is published. We also developed new research on some tests on the virus. It should be made public very soon.” 

He could not talk about the research as that is the work of the college. “Only the college management can talk about it.”

Elisheba Muturi, a masters of Science in Medical Microbiology student on internship at the Wuhan Institute, said that only one was allowed to go to the market on behalf of the whole team.

“I missed going outside and having a walk. I missed mingling with my peers,”  Elisheba said.

Movement was restricted and one had to wear a mask. Body temperatures were taken on a daily basis. The use of disinfectants was a must.