A COVID-19 infected patient who became an internet celebrity by making hilarious videos walked out of a makeshift hospital in Wuhan last Sunday.
(Photos provided to the People's Daily)
Xia Bin, a patient at the makeshift hospital of the Wuhan Sports Center, has been known for starring in a series of funny videos based on his daily life at the hospital.
In one video, Xia played the role of the virus, walking around with an air of swagger and scaring other patients away in the beginning. But “the virus” was soon ambushed and contained by doctors rushing to the scene. Don’t worry, it’s scripted so nobody got hurt!
In just a few days, Xia’s funny videos went viral, spreading optimism and positivity to not only the patients and doctors around, but also people online who follow the news of the outbreak.
According to CCTV, Xia is a Wuhan native and a truck driver. He will be quarantined for another 14 days at a hotel before returning home.
(Video source: Miaopai)
However, Xia said he had no intention of starting a real acting career afterwards.
“People love watching my videos because they want to know what life looks like inside makeshift hospitals,” Xia said. “When I walk out of the hospital, I am just the ordinary person I used to be.”
Xia’s wife, Cen Meng, was also infected with the COVID-19 and is still under treatment at Wuhan Tongji Hospital. The 27-year-old was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer last November and had already undergone several surgeries.
After learning about Xia’s story, many, including his inmates and medical staff, wanted to raise money for him. As much as he was grateful and touched, Xia declined them all.
“At first, I made those funny videos only to cheer up my wife,” Xia said. “She was placed in another hospital and I can’t visit her in person. So, I came up with this idea.”
“My wife has got insurance and I can afford her medical costs, so please do not donate money to me anymore,” Xia added. “What I really wanted is to find an effective treatment for her illness.”
(Compiled by Li Bowen)