The coronavirus is rapidly spreading through China despite efforts to slow it down and the lengths that the Chinese government is going to appear to be nothing short of dystopian. Millions upon millions of people have been quarantined or isolated, but the spread of the virus appears not to have slowed down.

Of course, the problem is, China has been so secretive we're left to rely on leaked videos and desperate messages from anonymous sources to find out what's actually happening. So while I believe the stories in this article are probably true, it's important to note that it is impossible to vet these sources thoroughly.

China's leader, Xi Jinping, has ordered a crackdown on anyone who is caught undermining efforts to contain the virus.

He also said that officials would take aim at those who resist epidemic prevention and control efforts, including by spreading false rumors. (source)

It wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to think that someone sharing information that Mr. Xi doesn't want out could be accused of "spreading false rumors." Anyone leaking information from China could potentially face dire consequences – and if they aren't punished their families might be. With this in mind, it's no surprise those who are sharing videos with the rest of the world want to remain anonymous.

What it's like in Wuhan

One citizen journalist, Chen Qiushi, is reporting from inside Wuhan. You can follow him on Twitter here. To see the translations, simply click on a Tweet and the option to have it translated to English is available.

In a video blog published on YouTube on Jan. 30, a week into his reporting trip, an emotional Chen described how helpless people filled hospitals that were struggling to admit them, and showed footage of a woman next to a dead man in a wheelchair making desperate phone calls for help to move her relative's body. The videos have drawn attention on Chinese social media, even though YouTube is blocked there and requires special software to access, as well as outside China.

"I, for the first time, really started to feel scared," Chen said in the video. He also spoke about whether he felt pressure from the authorities over his videos, but declared, "I'm not afraid of dying, why should I be afraid of you, Communist Party ?" (source)

In an interview with Quartz, Chen shared some of the things he has witnessed.

The situation is still severe… I have been to four Wuhan hospitals, and even the construction site of Huoshenshan, the temporary hospital China built for admitting the patients. In the beginning, there were not many people in hospitals. But after I met more local youngsters, I heard from them that the situation is still severe. They do not have enough testing kits, beds, and doctors are extremely overwhelmed. Workers and their leaders at the construction sites for the new hospitals are exhausted too…

…Some continued with their normal life, despite being a bit bored or feeling depressed, but they were not panicking. But for those who were suspected to have the virus, they were very very anxious and some went online calling for help. I also saw people who did not care about the issue at all and did not wear face masks…

Prices of goods are staying stable. For myself, I bought bread and milk, and can still order food deliveries. I can use a Mobike and some friend lent me an electric motorcycle. For ordinary citizens, they can either ride electric motorcycles, or order taxis mobilized by their residential communities. But it is difficult to book taxis because of the small number of them… (source)

Others report food shortages, however.