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China Covid: Infected woman Top Stories

defends herself aer public shaming US Covid vaccinations to begin on

Monday
By Waiyee Yip
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Around the world, there are many cases of people shamed for catching Covid
Features

A Chinese woman who was publicly shamed aer testing positive for Covid-
19 has spoken out aer the man who leaked her personal details online was
punished.

In an impassioned post from hospital, the 20-year-old said she could not
understand why she was being attacked.

"I just happened to catch Covid-19, I'm a victim too," she wrote.

The woman found herself at the mercy of trolls aer many personal details,
from her home address to her phone number, were published online. How will the UK jab millions of
people?
It is unclear why the man decided to out the woman, identified by state media
only by her surname Zhao.

Police in China's south-western city of Chengdu have since said that the 24-
year-old man, identified by his surname Wang, has been given "administrative
punishment". mercy
"The privacy of citizens is protected by the law," it wrote on social media
platform Weibo on Wednesday.

However, police could do little to stop the tide of online vitriol which had Trump's latest, legal longshot
already engulfed Ms Zhao. doomed by Supreme Court

'Questionable' lifestyle
Shortly aer Ms Zhao was confirmed to be Covid-19 positive on Tuesday, the
local health authority publicly released details of her whereabouts in the
previous two weeks for contact tracing purposes. It was a routine procedure
and she was not identified.

But her case soon became a talking point on Chinese social media, as many
noted that she had visited a nail salon, a bar and several nightclubs. Covid: Homeless le struggling for
shelter
Some social media users said this was evidence that she led a "questionable"
lifestyle. Others said she had been "reckless" and accused her of knowingly
spreading the virus across the city.

Then, Wang released her name and details online - and the personal attacks
came fast and furious.

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Despite low infection numbers, China remains very cautious

In response, Ms Zhao came forward on the website Toutiao and pleaded for
the attacks to stop in a series of posts. She posted under an alias but used an
account verified with her real name, according to local media. Migrants accuse Greece of pushing
them back out to sea
Ms Zhao said she had visited several nightspots as part of her job, which
involved "overseeing the atmosphere and sales in bars".

She also said she had co-operated with the authorities in reporting her
movements as soon as she tested positive.

"No one wishes for this to happen to them," she said, adding that she had been
getting numerous calls and text messages on her phone from strangers.

Covid-19: How everyday life has changed in Wuhan

What do we know about China's Covid-19 vaccine? Test and Trace: 'Tackling Covid got
me a job'
On Wednesday evening, Ms Zhao wrote online that she was receiving
treatment in hospital, and that the staff were concerned that she would get
depression over the internet threats.

But she added she had also received encouraging text messages from
strangers. "Life is worth it," she said.

On Thursday, she said in a video - which did not show her face - that she was
being looked aer at the hospital, and thanked the public for their concern.

Her grandparents, who are in their 60s and 70s, became Chengdu's first local
cases in months on Monday aer they saw a doctor at a hospital for their Do you always like the things you
coughs. want?

It is not known how they were infected, but local health officials said the virus
was detected on food stored in the elderly couple's fridge and on a chopping
board in their apartment.

Chinese state media has been blaming recent clusters on imports of frozen
food, but the World Health Organization says there is no evidence that people
can catch the virus from food or food packaging.

Domestic transmissions have largely been brought under control in China. The
country has an overall low case rate but its tally of confirmed cases does not The trauma and pain of being a
include asymptomatic patients. Covid doctor

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Although it was the world's first hotspot, China now has the virus under control

China, where the first cases of coronavirus were reported about a year ago, is
not the only country where people have been shamed for getting ill with
Covid-19.
Daily news briefing direct to your
In South Korea, where authorities release details such as a patient's age, inbox
gender and travel history in the fight against the pandemic, citizens have Sign up for our newsletter
conducted online witch hunts to identify patients.

In Singapore, a tech company executive was shamed aer being wrongly

identified as a woman who made headlines for refusing to wear a mask. Most Read
Meanwhile, in Vietnam, the daughter of a wealthy family was abused online for
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