Swiss man's videos tell the tale of COVID-19

Videos about a Swiss man's life in China during the COVID-19 outbreak have become popular online, attracting a lot of interest abroad.

Raphael Zumsteg, 30, from Zurich, Switzerland, returned to Pingdingshan, Henan province, on Jan 20 with his 29-year-old Chinese fiancee, Yuan Xiameng, who works in Chongqing.

The couple planned to have a Chinese wedding ceremony in the woman's hometown on Feb 9. But they had to put it off because of the epidemic.

During their month-long lockdown and quarantine in Henan province, Zumsteg and his wife-to-be began recording videos about their daily life. They shared their personal experiences with friends and followers on different social media platforms.

"We realized that many people around the world knew little about the outbreak, especially in the early days," Zumsteg said. "We saw many inaccurate reports and videos about the situation here. So we decided to counteract it by showing people how we lived."

"We wanted to provide people with facts and details about how the virus can affect individual lives — starting with our family."

The videos found an audience, and news reports about them popped up in Swiss and US media.

This week, Yuan resumed her work at Southwest University in Chongqing after the city was declared clear of confirmed cases of COVID-19 on March 15. Zumsteg continued recording in the municipality.

"My wife and I have always felt safe, no matter in Henan or Chongqing. The public health measures are very strict, which has made them effective," he said.

"No matter where we were, the situation was always calm, and people always cooperated. Everybody's following the rules, wearing face masks, washing their hands and avoiding crowds — even now as the numbers of cases have decreased."