Here's what ridesharing is like in Wuhan, China: The coronavirus epicenter
A video from Geely details the life of a CaoCao driver in the city where COVID-19 first emerged.
The coronavirus pandemic has quickly shifted life for millions of people around the world, and businesses big and small are working to adapt to social distancing and enhanced sanitation measures.
When it comes to ridesharing, studies already show passengers are rethinking the service amid the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19. But it's extraordinary to see what the concept looks like in Wuhan, China. Health officials identified Wuhan as the novel coronavirus' epicenter months ago, but ridesharing drivers play an important part in helping locals receive food and supplies.
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The video comes from Geely, a domestic Chinese automaker, and it follows one CaoCao driver for a single day to show what he and the service do for Wuhan locals. CaoCao is similar to Uber or Lyft here in the US.
The day begins early around 5 a.m. as the driver gets ready to take a passenger to the hospital to pick up medicine. "Get ready" doesn't simply mean taking a shower and finding clothes for the day. In Wuhan, it means gearing up in every piece of vital personal protective equipment available. That includes a full suit, medical mask, N95 mask, face shield and gloves.
From there, the driver takes his vehicle to a location where officials sanitize the entire car. The disinfecting product covers almost the entire cabin and even the vehicle's exterior to ensure there's no trace of COVID-19. From there, the driver tackles various "missions," that include picking up medicine for locals under quarantine, delivering food and hauling fresh vegetables to the community by the trunk-load.
The visuals may seem dramatic, but until we learn more about how to treat patients infected with COVID-19, ensuring the virus doesn't spread further is the best line of defense.
