两周前，一英国朋友在WhatsApp上问我关于中国新冠疫情的事情，我告诉了他一下我们的情况，并让他做好准备，严肃对待这个病毒。
最近，他在自己的博客文章里分享了他目前的情况，表示他幸亏听了当初的建议，谈到他们储存一些物资，孩子停止上学回家自我隔离等一些细节。
其中一个细节，他提到英国普通百姓超市抢购物资的情况，有一个男子为了抢购，从一名女士手中强行夺走两品脱牛奶，导致她倒在了地上，幸好旁边另一男子一拳将这名不文明的男子打倒在地，才把牛奶还回到女士手中。
An older lady in the supermarket was pushed to the floor for 2 pints of milk by a man who wanted them, he took them out of the ladies hand while she was lying on the floor. Another man punched him in the face and gave the lady her milk back. Crazy Right?
想象这一幕，感觉疫情让整个社会都变了。中国古话说：仓廪足而知礼节。在这种大灾面前，求生欲放大了人性中好的一面和不好的一面。即使人们印象中的绅士国度，也会有人为了两品脱牛奶干这出这样没素质甚至违法的事情。人性这种东西，它无关于国别和人种，就是如此复杂而简单。
不只是疫情之下的问题，以我以前在英国的经验，不少英国人说话就很粗俗。我原来所待的实验室，从系主任到某位女博士生，在非公开场合的言语中，满嘴带fu*k。甚至报纸上刊登读者短信时，也能见到用星号半屏蔽的此类词汇。估计此次疫情导致的恐慌中，估计还会有比这些说脏话、抢牛奶更严重的事情发生：比如，对国外华人面孔人士的攻击……
当务之急，还是希望全球能将疫情早日控制住。欧美那样的国度，由于他们的民主政府体制导致的低效率，以及民众对病毒早期的不重视，可能会在此次疫情中付出比我们更惨痛的代价。
因此，我也再次给我的英国朋友回复了我一些建议：
Good to know you are taking measures to cope with the virus. From the experiences we have suffured in China, you can do your best to greatly reduce the chance from being infected by the virus. Such as stay home as much as possible, wash you hands each time back home, have good rest, avoid short distance contact with other people, check your body temperautre each day, etc.
One problem for me is that it seems many especially young guys in western world do not take the virus seriously, the ignorance of virus (some governments even take it as another type of flu) but too much focus on the self freedom may expose yourself to the damn virus, which is so easy to spread and catch you.
Google also offers “Do the five” tips:
- Hands. Wash them often
- Elbow. Cough into it
- Face. Don’t touch it
- Feet. Stay more than 3ft apart
- Feel sick? Stay home
So trust yourself and take mearsures scientifically, and do not expect to much from your government.
这一次，我在回复的最后建议他：别对政府期待太多，他救之前还是多多自救吧。