On a personal level, he is not particularly worried about himself or his fellow Chinese classmates, for they were among the first to prepare against the virus.

Support from the Chinese embassy is also helpful, with hotlines set up for those in need. Like many other Chinese embassies worldwide, the embassy in Britain also announced on March 23 that it would distribute 100,000 pandemic prevention kits for free to Chinese students studying in the UK. These include masks, antiseptic wipes, a handbook on self-protection and some traditional Chinese medicine.

In the meantime, he still attends classes online, writes term essays and prepares for the dissertation. Life goes on as usual.

Contact the writer at chengyuezhu@chinadaily.com.cn