Editor's note: In the battle with the COVID-19 epidemic, more and more fighters are coming to its front lines, including students and former students of the Open University of China (OUC). Like other fighters, no matter how ordinary, they are contributing what they can. Let's take a close look at some of their stories.
On 24 January 2020, the eve of the Year of the Rat, the shadow of the COVID-19 epidemic fell upon the country. While most Chinese were locking themselves in their homes, Cao Xiaoqing and her colleagues on the railway stayed at their posts to help fight it.
Putting Themselves at Risk to Man the Front Lines
Cao Xiaoqing is crew head of the passenger section on the first high-speed railway,and a High-speed Railway Administration student at the Nanjing Branch of the Open University of China (OUC), spring of 2019. The outbreak of the epidemic led to highways being closed, public transportation within cities being suspended, and flights canceled, putting great pressure on railway transportation. In order to ensure smooth operations, Cao Xiaoqing insisted on taking extra shifts and working overtime. As a member of the Communist Party of China, she understands that in the current situation, it is her duty to bravely man the front lines.
Liu Fei, one of her classmates, and a conductor on the Nanjing-Kunming line, on 3 February, when the new epidemic grew drastically, also left his family and resumed work.
Uncomplaining Devotion to the Welfare of Others
Daily close contact with passengers from all over the country carries obvious risks. As head conductor, Cao Xiaoqing took on the responsibility of dealing with passengers showing symptoms, taking their temperatures, and registering and reporting them. Her greatest worry is for the health of her child and parents, and she has to force herself to keep her distance from them.
Cao Xiaoqing at work
Liu Fei's duties are similar, and he wrote of his state of mind: "We are afraid of death, but cannot shirk our responsibilities; we have families, but cannot put the interests of society aside".
Liu Fei at work
Invigorating the Power of Youth and Spreading Positive Energy
Cao Xiaoqing's team mostly consists of young people as prosperous as she is. Despite the great pressure they face, Cao Xiaoqing led them to use Douyin, a video-sharing platform, to pass their best wishes on to those suffering at this time. The positive energy of these clips has brought them nearly forty-thousand views, proof that the persistence and dedication of their makers has touched the public.
By OUC News Network