People under coronavirus lockdown are fighting boredom with memes

Featuring indoor fishing, inflatable dinosaurs, and makeshift facemasks

February 72020

As the rest of the world descends into pandemonium over coronavirus, boredom is setting in for the people confinded to Wuhan, China.

The city is under total quarantine, the transport systems are down, residents can’t freely walk around, and the streets are mostly deserted. We wrote about the plight of those stranded there yesterday; there is concern, they face discrimination, and are targets of abuse on social media. But some of the people stuck at the centre of a global health pandemic are reclaiming the narrative in the only way they know how: by posting memes.

Supplies are running low – stocks of the most rudimentary protection against infection (the face mask) are depleting and people are posting videos of humorous alternatives, including sanitary pads, bras, fruit, and various inflatable costumes.

People are getting horny too – no one’s been allowed to leave since January 23 – photos of empty supermarket shelves that once stocked condoms are going viral, and according to The South China Morning Post residents have set up a 200-strong WeChat group for people looking to hook up.

Understandably, there’s also an array of indoor sports being played, countless dining tables have been repurposed for ping pong, sofas are being used as makeshift badminton nets, and one guy has posted a video of himself doing some indoor fishing from his own tank.

Take a look at some of the ways people are passing the time below.

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We've reached a point where people are starting to wear inflatable costumes on the streets to protect themselves against the #coronavirus. According to Chinese media, a medical expert said this is "unnecessary" and that washing hands and wearing face masks will do 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/OvhOD76kum
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) February 6, 2020

"What's the situation in Beijing like now?"

[Posts photo of empty shelves Durex condoms]

"This is the situation in Beijing."#wechat #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/DdEbLKkhOp
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) January 28, 2020

How to survive staying indoors during #coronavirus lockdown according to these very important videos making their rounds on Chinese social media. Firstly: don't be afraid to express your feelings and get in touch with your emotions. pic.twitter.com/xd8yj73dtx
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) January 27, 2020

We've gotten to a point where I am seriously doubting if this is 100% serious, 100% joke, but I'm going for a bit of both. "We're out of face masks, so now I use this." #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/1LVuCFvYUo
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) February 2, 2020

Video going around on Wechat of creative ways to pass the time during the outbreak: pic.twitter.com/xMRPdcgCc3
— Michael Standaert (@mstandaert) January 27, 2020

Across #Wuhan, a show of determination with voices chanting ‘Jiāyóu!’. It’s what people say to lift somebody up during a struggle; to literally ‘add oil’ or ‘keep going’...though doctors here took to social media urging them to stop given the risk of spreading the virus. @NBCNews pic.twitter.com/DkIhsJ3HqW
— Janis Mackey Frayer (@janisfrayer) January 28, 2020

Seven: Despite restrictions, there's always a way to still have a party together. pic.twitter.com/G24nJnNNEg
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) January 28, 2020