Child in China survives 66 days 'home alone' amid strict coronavirus lockdowns

Are you familiar with the movie Home Alone?

In the film, a child is left alone at home for a few days without any adult supervision. But what if it was more...say 66 days?

Doesn't it seem impossible? A child left alone for over two months. How would he or she manage? Children can be incredibly resilient, as a thirteen-year-old Chinese boy has demonstrated.

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When his parents were stranded in another city owing to a coronavirus lockdown, the teenager in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China, was forced to fend for himself for 66 days.

According to the South China Morning Post, the boy's parents travelled to Shanghai on February 28 for medical treatment. They were stuck there when a lockdown was declared, preventing them from seeing their child until the end of April.

What's even more remarkable about this story is that the youngster not only endured by himself, but also cared for two pets, a dog and a cat, while simultaneously attending online classes.

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Recalling the whole incident, the boy's mother told the press that even when she was concerned about the child's safety, he would reassure her. 

She had planned food deliveries in March to help her son get through the ordeal, but these were halted after Kunshan was placed under lockdown. The youngster then learned to cook over the phone from his mother.

When they were able to return in April, the anxious mother discovered that her child and two pets had actually grown fatter during their separation.

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However, while the animals and youngster had grown fatter, the status of the house was a different story. "There was no place for us to even put our foot down," the mother stated, describing the situation as "messy."

However, the grateful mother had few complaints; she was simply grateful for her son's bravery and optimism.

An estimated 340 million individuals in at least 46 cities across China are still under lockdown. China recorded over 45,000 new cases and over 150 deaths this week. According to Bloomberg, Shanghai authorities have stated that the lockdown will be removed only after community transmission hits zero.

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(With inputs from agencies)