China's Post-90s Rise to the Challenge of Combatting Coronavirus

POST-90S in China are typically stereotyped as twenty-something light-hearted kids. But, a large number of these post-90s including medical workers, policemen, community workers, and even volunteers, have defied this generalization in their fight against the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) since its outbreak in Wuhan and other cities in China’s Hubei Province.

- WANG JING

Commendable Courage

“After cancelling my wedding reception banquet, I applied to join in the battle against the novel coronavirus in Wuhan,” said 26-year-old Yan Peng. He and his wife Chen Jinyang are a post-90s generation couple who work at the Tongji Hospital affiliated to the Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan. They had already booked flights to their hometown in northwestern China’s Gansu Province, and planned to hold a wedding ceremony on February 1. However, the battle against the deadly virus changed their plans.

On February 4, when Yan connected online with Hubei Daily for the interview, he had just finished cleaning up the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital. It was also the 11th day since he joined in this battle against the novel coronovirus and the third month of his wife’s pregnancy. “We’ve been married for a long time but haven’t found time to hold our wedding ceremony. Now, with our country at risk, we must give up our plans,” said Yan.

“Patients always take the first place in his heart,” Chen said. Understanding her husband, she indicated, “It is his way of showing love by eliminating from the world any raging epidemic.”

“I am single and my parents are in good health. I am ready for the battle,” said Li Zongyu, a 27-year-old nurse from Zhongda Hospital affiliated to the Southeast University, who has worked in the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University for eight days.

Li’s father wrote a poem to encourage the brave spirit she has shown, by likening her to the brave female general Hua Mulan in ancient times of China who disguised herself as a man in order to fight on the battlefield.