Pandemic a time to get out of one's comfort zone

On the positive side, the novel coronavirus is offering people a chance to boost their skills and find new ways to make a living. Zhou Mo reports from Shenzhen.

'Boys and girls, welcome to my show tonight. Love you all!" Xu Lingyu posts a message on WeChat's Moments.

The 35-year-old was to make her third livestreaming broadcast on Douyin — a popular short video platform based in China. This time, she would show her audience how to cook boiled fish with pickled cabbage and chili, a typical Sichuan cuisine.

"To be honest, I really don't like being an anchor. I'm the sort of person who feels uncomfortable in front of the camera. But, I've no other choice. I've to do it," said Xu.

Xu runs a homestay in Shenzhen's Nanshan district — the most expensive area in the southern metropolis. The coronavirus pandemic, which swept across the country in late January, caught her off guard as her business plummeted. Although the overall situation is gradually returning to normal, many people are still wary of traveling.

For several months, Xu had no income. But, she still has to fork out more than 30,000 yuan ($4,242) a month to cover her homestay rent, and livestreaming is her answer.

"For my first live broadcast, I had only 16 people watching it. I made just a few yuan — it was heartbreaking," she said with a bitter smile. "But, I'll keep doing it."

Xu is among hundreds of thousands of people in Shenzhen who have resorted to taking on new roles to keep themselves afloat financially, as various industries took a heavy hit from the pandemic that has claimed more than 248,000 lives and infected nearly 3.5 million people worldwide.

Many people have had their daily lives severely hit by the outbreak. According to a recent national survey by market consultancy iiMedia Research, about 70 percent of respondents said their income has been drastically reduced due to the COVID-19 outbreak. More than 30 percent said they have lost revenue or their income has significantly declined.

In Shenzhen, where the cost of living is much higher than that of most other mainland cities, the situation is even harder. People cannot afford to sit and wait for "spring" to arrive, and have to find a solution themselves.

In the fitness industry, one of the hardest hit sectors, many instructors have taken up food delivery services. The rapid growth of e-commerce has offered them a cushion against the financial hardship.