Wuhan’s dancing coronavirus patients provide moment of light relief for Chinese looking to keep their spirits up
- State media highlights widely circulated clip from makeshift hospital as ‘amazing example’ of how people are trying to stay positive
- Footage proves popular on social media, but some web users remind people not to overlook problems such as shortages of equipment and poor hygiene
While the city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus outbreak, has struggled to overcome medical shortages and poor quarantine conditions, Chinese state media has been keen to highlight moments of gaiety in the bleak situation.
On Tuesday, state-run People’s Daily published a video that had been widely circulated on social media showing a group of mask-wearing patients at an unidentified makeshift hospital in the city trying to lift their spirits by square dancing – a popular pastime among older Chinese women.
“This is the most amazing square-dancing ever seen!” the Communist Party mouthpiece wrote on its Weibo account.
“Paired with medical treatment, maintaining a good mentality will allow you all to quickly recover. Wuhan, add oil!”
The clips had also been shared by state broadcaster CCTV the previous day.