Couriers, community workers among those uniting to tackle contagion

Editors' note: The novel coronavirus outbreak is weighing heavily on people's lives and minds. But many are working hard to keep cities running and trying to spread a little happiness. Here, we take a look at their stories.

For days, the streets of Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, and epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, have been deserted.

Buses and the subway have stopped running. With the exception of a few taxis and private hire vehicles, the roads are otherwise eerily empty.

While the majority of residents have opted to remain at home, people such as Yuan Shuang are doing their bit to ensure that the city of 11 million people does not come to a complete halt.

Yuan, a courier with Danniao Logistics, has documented his daily activities since the outbreak through his video blog, updating viewers about the situation.

He arrives at his warehouse at 6:50 am every day. The first thing he and his colleagues do is check their temperatures to ensure they are not running a fever.

At 8:30 am, Yuan starts to load goods into a minivan before transporting them to destinations across the city. The packages bearing yellow labels are essential supplies that need to be delivered first. Some 80 percent of Yuan's parcels contain face masks and disinfectants, while the remainder have food and beverages.

At 12:45 pm, Yuan drives back to the warehouse to have lunch, a simple meal comprising a bowl of rice, pork and green peppers. Once he finishes eating, he immediately returns to work.

"I don't feel that I am an ordinary courier. I now shoulder more responsibility than before," he said.

"I want people to know that even when the city is locked down, we couriers are still here to deliver essentials. Although my colleagues often joke that they are scared to death, I know they will stick to their posts and we will all work together."