Meet The 21 Y.O. TikTok Stars Showing What Life Is Like In Wuhan’s Coronavirus Lockdown

As the Chinese city of Wuhan approaches its 50th day of lockdown, its 11 million citizens are finding more and more ways to ease their boredom amid the coronavirus outbreak.

While people have been staying in touch on Weibo and recording viral dances on Douyin, most of these social media platforms remain inaccessable to the outside world.

However, two 21-year-olds have taken it upon themselves to document daily life under lockdown on TikTok, the Chinese-owned app designed for Western audiences.

American Megan Monroe arrived in Wuhan over 90 days ago and now uploads videos of themself completing ordinary tasks against the backdrop of an eerily quiet city.

@prostage##wuhan ##chinawuhan ##quarantine ##武汉加油♬ This City – Sam Fischer

Monroe, who used they/them pronouns, told told BuzzFeed News: “I mostly just want people to know it’s not scary.”

“I’m a real person and I’m living here and I’m just continuing on with my life,” they said.

The English teacher can be seen cooking, shopping and even volunteering to distribute supplies among the neighborhood. The videos are recorded by Monroe’s superviser, and their account has over 370,000 likes and over 42,000 followers.

@prostageHave a weekly shopping list ##wuhan ##chinawuhan ##quarantine ##volunteer♬ original sound – prostage

Monroe has no plans to evacuate the city anytime soon, as the US government has not offered to pay for civilians’ flights.

“I’m exactly where I need to be right now,” they said.

One TikToker in Wuhan who was able to get a flight out was Australian Daniel Ou Yang, who was visiting his family for the Lunar New Year.

The Sydney-based property agent left Australia in January but wasn’t concerned about the virus because he’s young and healthy. Although the lockdown caught him off-guard, he was more concerned with how the the optics might affect Asian people back in Australia.

@danielouyangCurrent situation in ##wuhan ##coronavirus ##heartbreaking♬ This City – Sam Fischer

“I felt it was important for me to let everyone back in Australia know what’s been happening here, as many are using the virus as an excuse for discrimination against Asians,” he told the South China Morning Post.

Yang was one of 241 Australians quarantined Christmas Island, but hasn’t posted any updates since leaving.

@danielouyangI haven’t been able to get my hair cut in 6 weeks now I promise I’m cuter normally ???? ##fyp ##foryou ##foryourpage ##coronavirus♬ original sound – danielouyang

The Wuhan lockdown remains ongoing. While some foreigners such as Yang have been able to evacuate, others like Monroe remain in limbo. Their TikToks show that lockdown is not as scary as many believe, providing insight into what might happen elsewhere in the near future.

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