兩周前，一英國朋友在WhatsApp上問我關於中國新冠疫情的事情，我告訴了他一下我們的情況，並讓他做好準備，嚴肅對待這個病毒。
最近，他在自己的博客文章裡分享了他目前的情況，表示他幸虧聽了當初的建議，談到他們儲存一些物資，孩子停止上學回家自我隔離等一些細節。
其中一個細節，他提到英國普通百姓超市搶購物資的情況，有一個男子為了搶購，從一名女士手中強行奪走兩品脫牛奶，導致她倒在了地上，幸好旁邊另一男子一拳將這名不文明的男子打倒在地，才把牛奶還回到女士手中。
An older lady in the supermarket was pushed to the floor for 2 pints of milk by a man who wanted them, he took them out of the ladies hand while she was lying on the floor. Another man punched him in the face and gave the lady her milk back. Crazy Right?
想像這一幕，感覺疫情讓整個社會都變了。中國古話說：倉廩足而知禮節。在這種大災面前，求生欲放大了人性中好的一面和不好的一面。即使人們印象中的紳士國度，也會有人為了兩品脫牛奶幹這出這樣沒素質甚至違法的事情。人性這種東西，它無關於國別和人種，就是如此複雜而簡單。
不只是疫情之下的問題，以我以前在英國的經驗，不少英國人說話就很粗俗。我原來所待的實驗室，從系主任到某位女博士生，在非公開場合的言語中，滿嘴帶fu*k。甚至報紙上刊登讀者簡訊時，也能見到用星號半屏蔽的此類詞彙。估計此次疫情導致的恐慌中，估計還會有比這些說髒話、搶牛奶更嚴重的事情發生：比如，對國外華人面孔人士的攻擊……
當務之急，還是希望全球能將疫情早日控制住。歐美那樣的國度，由於他們的民主政府體制導致的低效率，以及民眾對病毒早期的不重視，可能會在此次疫情中付出比我們更慘痛的代價。
因此，我也再次給我的英國朋友回復了我一些建議：
Good to know you are taking measures to cope with the virus. From the experiences we have suffured in China, you can do your best to greatly reduce the chance from being infected by the virus. Such as stay home as much as possible, wash you hands each time back home, have good rest, avoid short distance contact with other people, check your body temperautre each day, etc.
One problem for me is that it seems many especially young guys in western world do not take the virus seriously, the ignorance of virus (some governments even take it as another type of flu) but too much focus on the self freedom may expose yourself to the damn virus, which is so easy to spread and catch you.
Google also offers 「Do the five」 tips:
Hands. Wash them often
Elbow. Cough into it
Face. Don’t touch it
Feet. Stay more than 3ft apart
Feel sick? Stay home
So trust yourself and take mearsures scientifically, and do not expect to much from your government.
這一次，我在回復的最後建議他：別對正府期待太多，他救之前還是多多自救吧。