The story of a Swedish journalist in Beijing quarantine

Swedish journalist who was rushed to isolation by ambulance at the Beijing Olympics is keeping in touch by writing a diary of his time in Chinese quarantine for his newspaper.

Following his arrival in Beijing to cover the Winter Olympics, Philip Gadd was diagnosed with COVID-19 and was immediately confined in a quarantine hotel with no communication with the outside world.

As a reporter and web TV anchor for the Expressen newspaper, Gadd provided columns detailing his experiences as he was transported to the venue by "spacemen" who were dressed head to toe in protective gear (PPE).

Gadd was dressed in personal protective equipment for the journey, complete with a mask, visor, gloves, and an all-white suit that covered him from head to toe.

He told Reuters in a Zoom interview from his quarantine hotel that the experience was terrifying as if it were not real. "I felt like I was in a movie, a sci-fi movie," he said.

During the games, journalists are subjected to daily COVID tests and are required to wear masks while interviewing athletes in mixed zones.

Having tested negative on Saturday, Gadd is now awaiting a second negative result to rejoin his colleagues and cover the cross-country events as scheduled.

In the hotel, he said, the internet worked well, so he was able to assist his colleagues remotely.

The lack of food has been a concern for many athletes in quarantine, but Gadd says that has not been an issue. The freedom to choose what to do was what he missed the most, after friends and family.