Medical staff dance with coronavirus patients in Wuhan – VIDEO

While Wuhan and other Chinese cities struggle with shortages and poor quarantine conditions, Chinese state media have been keen to find a brighter side to the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

The People’s Daily published a video on Tuesday that had been widely circulated on social media, showing mask-wearing patients at an unidentified makeshift hospital in Wuhan trying to lift their spirits by square dancing, a popular pastime among older Chinese women.

“This is the most amazing square-dancing ever seen! Paired with medical treatment, maintaining a good mentality will allow you all to quickly recover,” the CCP mouthpiece wrote on its Weibo account. The video was also shared by state broadcaster CCTV the previous day.

The coronavirus first broke out in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, last December and has since resulted in more than 42,000 confirmed cases across the country and more than 1,000 deaths. In an effort to contain the virus, Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, has been on lockdown for three weeks, with the government vowing to tighten measures even further to ensure every confirmed and suspected case is quarantined and treated.

But concerns remain over shortages of medical supplies and workers, conditions in quarantine centres and there are suspicions of government cover-ups.

Some on social media shared the clips of dancing patients and medical workers with supportive messages, but others reminded web users not to forget the pressing problems at the makeshift medical facilities.

One user wrote “We need to improve the hygiene situation at the makeshift hospitals and reduce the pressure on the medical staffers,” while another opined “But should they just wait to die? Maintaining a positive mentality is also good.”

The chief of infectious diseases at China-Japan Friendship Hospital, said at a press conference in January that people should avoid square dancing.

“Dancing itself increases the risk of cross infections. It will use a lot of one’s oxygen, and one could suffocate if wearing a mask while dancing.”

Medical experts warn that healthy individuals should avoid mass outdoor gatherings, including group dances.

SOURCE: South China Morning Post