Role model for what to do when infected

Until a resident was confirmed infected with the novel coronavirus on June 11, Beijing had not seen any new cases for nearly two months. Over the first four days after June 11, about 400,000 people received nucleic acid tests in the city.

Although the city had confirmed 228 cases in this wave of infections as of Sunday afternoon, all of the cases are people who had already been quarantined and put under close medical observation since June 11. The city's swift response to the reemergence of the virus has helped bring it quickly under control.

Notably, the city's epidemic control experts credited the first person surnamed Tang confirmed infected with the virus on June 11 for his "textbook-like" actions after he began to suffer from a high fever, saying that were it not for Tang's contribution, the city might have lost its golden chance to grip the virus by its throat.

Wearing a face mask all the time, the man rode his bike to the fever clinic nearest his home in Xicheng district. As suggested, he intentionally avoided public transportation, and tried to minimize his contacts with other people.

Moreover, he accurately recalled all the places he had visited since May 30, and provided the epidemic-control department with a list of names of the 38 people who he had had close contact with since then.

It was his accurate and detailed account of his movements and his experience of buying seafood in Xinfadi market of Fengtai district on June 3 that helped experts quickly focus their attention on the largest food market in Beijing, which was immediately shut down, and soon identified as being the source of the cluster of infections.

As the experts said, it is thanks to the man's accurate recounting of his movements that the city gained at least a day to trace the virus to the market and shut it down.

Undoubtedly, the man has made a big contribution to the capital's efforts to control the outbreak and set a good example for others.

If every citizen can raise their awareness on epidemic control to the same level, the space in which the virus can wreak havoc will be greatly narrowed.