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It's been over 40 days since Wuhan was locked down, and 89 international students stayed at the city's Zhongnan University of Economics and Law during the outbreak.
Mouhamadou Nazirou Sabi Couscous is one of those students. He decided to stay and help his peers as a student representative responsible for distributing food, supplies and other affairs.
"Students can get 10 masks each time they ask, which will last 10 days. When they run out, they can always come back for more. We have plenty of masks now, no shortage so far," said Couscous, a PhD in global economy, in fluent Mandarin, showing us a bag of masks from one of a dozen cartoons of donations.
International student Mouhamadou Nazirou Sabi Couscous from Benin checks a thermometer to be handed out to his peers in Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Wuhan, central China./CGTN
International student Mouhamadou Nazirou Sabi Couscous from Benin checks a thermometer to be handed out to his peers in Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Wuhan, central China./CGTN
The school has been providing stranded students food three meals a day, medicine and disinfectants. But still, more than a hundred international students left campus, many going home through flights arranged by their governments. At first, Couscous thought his country had abandoned him.
"My parents were worried about me, especially my mother. She wanted me home," the student from Benin in Western Africa told CGTN.
But he doesn't regret his decision to stay. "Now, I don't want to go back to my country. Staying on campus is safe. The epidemic elsewhere in the world is getting serious. And there are no measures like China's.”
Stanislav Janusauskas, a student from Russia majored in international relations, says he prefers to stay on campus for his own safety even when his government offered him trip back. He told CGTN it's more dangerous to travel somewhere outside China than to be in Wuhan.
"It's highly possible that you can get a disease like coronavirus or another kind of flu somewhere outside than here," said Janusauskas, adding, "because prevention and control in China is way better than in another country."
Having to stay in a dorm room for over a month can be overwhelming for anyone. Thanks to the Internet, students can continue classes online and entertain themselves, but there is one thing they crave the most.
The hot dry noodles, also known as "reganmian" in Chinese is a signature Wuhan delicacy, so popular that locals eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner or for even just a snack. / CGTN
The hot dry noodles, also known as "reganmian" in Chinese is a signature Wuhan delicacy, so popular that locals eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner or for even just a snack. / CGTN
"Places I used to eat, food, is closed. And I really miss reganmian,”the 25 year-old chuckled, adding, "but in other aspects of life, everything is okay. The school has provided enough supplement."
When this is all over, Janusauskas would like to go to his favorite place and enjoy Wuhan's famous hot and spicy noodles with sesame paste, and maybe travel somewhere.