Warrior couple make sacrifice for war on epidemic

Shortly after the war on the COVID-19 epidemic began in late January, Gao Sen, an ordinary police officer in the southwestern metropolis of Chongqing, applied to become one of the first participants in the epidemic prevention effort at the local prison where he works. He and others would perform their duties inside the institution, isolated from the outside world.

It was not an easy decision for Gao at the time. His daughter was merely eight months old and his mother had been partially paralyzed for nearly a year. In addition, his father's shaky health made him unable to take care of the extended family on his own.

What added to the family's hardship was that Gao's wife, a medical worker, would soon be dispatched to Hubei province, then the epicenter of the epidemic in China, to save lives in local hospitals. 

However, all these difficulties didn't undermine the determination of the couple who resolutely plunged into the war after buying their family essential goods sufficient for months to come.

"At this moment, the mutual understanding and support between my wife and I are our most powerful weapon to beat the epidemic," Gao told his colleagues.

Deliver on commitment

The inmate structure in Gao's prison is quite complicated, putting huge supervisory pressure on the facility in the midst of the epidemic.

Despite the pressure, Gao successfully maintained the prison's normal order through both stringent management and person-to-person contact with inmates.

An inmate surnamed Yang, for example, had been sticking to some inappropriate hygiene practices since he was imprisoned, causing tensions between him and other inmates and promoting Gao to help him make corrections.

After multiple rounds of face-to-face conversation aimed at educating Yang on epidemic-related knowledge and the prison's management rules, Gao finally help Yang shrug off his poor habits and restore the relationship between him and other inmates. "Officer Gao, I have recognized my mistakes. I will start developing healthy habits from today," Yang told Gao.

In fact, since the beginning of the war on the epidemic, Gao has held over 100 in-person talks with inmates, effectively diffusing the safety risk in the facility.

"'Let the Party organization test me in practice' was the sentence I wrote in my application letter to become a Party member," said Gao. "I believe now is the time for the test and action is the best way to deliver on my commitment."

Protect two hometowns

Born in Chongqing, Gao, in his thirties, used to live in Hubei for more than a decade, already seeing the province as his second hometown.

Were it not for the epidemic, he would have taken his family to visit his sister in Hubei during this Spring Festival.

"Both Chongqing and Hubei are my hometowns," said Gao. "Though I didn't fight the war in Hubei, I also made my contribution to its epidemic prevention by diligently doing my job at my post."

He said that he would travel to Hubei with his family after winning this war.