Police and families give all to control disease

Crackdowns

To maintain safety in the capital and help prevent the spread of the virus, the Beijing Public Security Bureau has launched several crackdowns against rumors and telecommunication fraud across the city in recent months.

For example, from June 11 to July 8, police citywide detained 113 people suspected of 92 instances of making and spreading pandemic-related rumors, according to the bureau's statistics.

"Some occupations－such as doctors, nurses and police officers－involve being on standby all the time," Cao said. "But I never regret my decision to become a policeman."

He saw his extra workload as the best way to support his wife and said "fighting side by side was also our biggest protection for each other".

Growing stronger

After the situation improved in Wuhan, Bai received more video calls from his wife. In addition to caring for each other, Bai also used some of Yu's tips to avoid infection in his disease control work.

"For example, she told me about the different face masks and their functions, telling me how to wear them to better protect myself," he said. He added that the information helped him understand people's problems in wearing masks and improved his efficiency in controlling the outbreak in communities.

Chen Xining, an officer responsible for police dogs at the Tian'anmen public security sub-bureau, also took measures after learning about pandemic control methods from his wife, a nurse who traveled to Wuhan.

Having been told that the canines might become infected and could transmit the virus, he quarantined the authority's 78 dogs in a separate base and disinfected each kennel every day. He also added more vitamins to their food to boost their immune systems and established a duty roster for control work to ensure a timely response to emergencies.

"When I saw the marks the protective masks or goggles had left on my wife's face during video calls, I felt so bad," he said. "But I believe the suffering will make us stronger."

After the situation in Wuhan was brought under control in April, many medical teams who had traveled to the city from other provinces returned to their own hospitals and homes, including those from Beijing.

Bai's family life is now back on track. "I've begun squeezing in time to be with my wife and son and I cherish every second with them, even though we do very little when we are all at home," he said.