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About

Coronavirus Lockdown refers to the over 17 cities in China whose travel and public transportation have been prohibited due to the 2019-20 Wuhan Coronavirus Outbreak. Many Chinese residents on lockdown used social media to share the ways in which they are combating boredom

Origin

According to Business Insider,^[1] On January 23th, 2020, Wuhan's public transportation was shut down and by January 27th, "quarantines followed in the cities of Huanggang, Ezhou, Chibi, Xiantao, Zhejiang, Qianjjiang, Huangshi, Xianning, Yichang, Enshi, Xiangyang, Jingmen, Xiaogan, Dangyang, and Suizhou." City residents are unable to leave their cities until further notice due to the Coronavirus.

Spread

On January 27th, 2020, Twitter user @manyapan or according to Daily Dot,^[2] "Manya Koetse, the editor-in-chief of the website What’s on Weibo" tweeted a thread of videos with the caption, "How to survive staying indoors during #coronavirus lockdown according to these very important videos making their rounds on Chinese social media. Firstly: don't be afraid to express your feelings and get in touch with your emotions" (shown below). The initial tweet gained over 29,400 likes and 6,400 retweets in four days.

On January 27th, Twitter user @manyapan continued in her thread with another video caption, "Second: don't completely isolate yourself but spend quality time with a friend or family member" (shown below). The tweet gained over 10,100 likes and 1,300 retweets in four days.

That same day, Twitter user @janisfrayer tweeted a video caption, "This is what it sounds like across #Wuhan tonight. In the city (of 11 million) that is effectively quarantined as the epicenter of the #coronarvirus, a social media message urged people to chant ‘Jiāyóu!’ from balconies & streets. It means, ‘keep going’. Have a listen: @NBCNews" (shown below). The tweet gained over 5,300 likes and 2,600 retweets in four days.

On January 30th, 2020, Twitter user @ChuBailiang^[3] posted a picture of a Mickey Mouse sculpture with the caption, "China's national coronavirus crisis, forcing so many people indoors for days on end, is already inspiring a rich outpouring of art' (shown below, left). The tweet accumulated over 8,900 likes and 1,500 retweets in a day. That day, Twitter user @IStanForMyself^[4] tweeted "Roads are so empty. This is a freeway but I’ve seen less than 10 cars in the past hour. 😢 Country on lockdown. #CoronaVirus" (shown below, right). The tweet gained over 5,400 likes and 530 retweets in a day.

The next day, China correspondent for The New York Times Amy Qin^[5] tweeted, "Just arrived in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, which has been under lockdown for more than a week now. The mood among locals: anxiety, flashes of anger & frustration, and extreme boredom. Here I am getting my temperature measured in a hotel lobby" (shown below). The tweet garnered over 250 likes and 116 retweets in a day.

Various Examples

Search Interest

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