A personal message
It’s pretty saddening to write this, but I’ve Long Covid and symptoms are not getting any better. It feels genuinely weird, but it’s debilitating. It’s on-and-off, sometimes on certain topics within the same day, but it’s very discomforting.
The Long Covid has impacted me in particular on matters which are new to me. I’ve been in the rail world for over a decade, so whilst Long Covid affects some “bits” of memory, so to speak, about the railways, it’s not very serious. In recent days, family members joining schools meant I had to set up school log-on accounts. I felt very overwhelmed at times and could not set this up, and my wife was very disappointed at this.
Over multiple trips to separate medical professionals, I’ve been diagnosed with Long Covid. From the first diagnosis in spring 2023, situations have continued to get worse. Although I’m not sure if it was responsible in itself, in summer 2024, I suffered a full month of very debilitating illness. It started with me just a few moments short of passing out due to heatstroke — at the security checkpoint at Suzhou North station, staff immediately found I was in poor shape and offered me as much help as possible. This evolved into fever, bronchitis, pneumonia, and worse. I only recovered in mid-August 2024 to an extent I could resume normal work.
For over a decade, my work with the railways has remained one where I was independent of the system. I did not join any rail body or governing authority anywhere in the world, not in China, not in Switzerland. When the Chinese authorities invited me to talk about the railways of China, I insisted I created the script independently and its contents not checked, and refused any form of payment. My talk to Swissnex, a body affiliated with science offices and counselors based in Swiss embassies, was presented as-is, with all content created independently. I have given rail-related, including China rail-related interviews, to both Chinese state media and media that have been seen as critical to Peking, for example Deutsche Welle.
I know that most of you have come to rely for this unique, one-of-a-kind, independent perspective about the railways of China, Switzerland, and the world. But now I need your help. My medical bills are spiralling out of control, and the alternative — “succumbing” to Long Covid (ie: no longer being able to be productive) — is not an option. In China, locals (ie: mainland citizens) can easily take advantage, legally, of the social security system because their national ID numbers match with the one on their social security card. Even as a Chinese Green Card holder, I do not benefit from this — the Chinese authorities have multiple records on me, some fully disconnected. For example, the tax authorities create a full new tax file on me if even one character in my name is uppercase/lowercase. I have to pay out of pocket for my treatment against Long Covid and it is bankrupting me.
I humbly ask you to support independent research about the railways of China, Switzerland, and the world, by donating to me via Buy Me A Coffee. The vast amount of this money will be used to pay for medication, as well as travel as needed for rail-related events. I will be very thankful to you for any amount received. You will support independent, fact-oriented reporting on the railways, and we together will be able to benefit by telling the rails story as it is.
Thank you kindly.
David Feng
15 August 2024