After vacationing in Vietnam over the Lunar New Year holiday, Dover High School alumnus Douglas Coleman, 26, headed back to China. That was Jan. 27, less than a week after the Chinese government instated a lockdown in Wuhan in response to the new coronavirus.

Coleman works as an English teacher in Jiaxing in the Zhejiang province. Coleman decided to stay in China rather than come back to the United States amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Coleman says it was the right decision, especially given the current situation in the U.S.

“I’m glad I’m here and I’m glad I didn’t leave. My students mean the world to me and I love my job,” Coleman said in a WeChat call. “The Chinese government did a fantastic job in protecting its people. I actually feel safer in China than I do in the U.S. or other Western countries.”

Zhejiang Province, where there were more than 1,200 cases, is hundreds of miles away from the virus’ center in Wuhan. But Coleman said returning there under the new containment measures was startling.

People were wary of each other on the street. There were checkpoints on highways and in stores where body temperature had to be taken before being allowed to pass. Every time Coleman and other residents return to their apartment building, security guards take their temperature, give them hand sanitizer and check their passport before allowing them inside. And Coleman made the complete switch to teaching English online, a new endeavor.

The one thing that bothered Coleman more than anything else about the virus, though, was what he believes are misconceptions circulating on the internet about what was going on in China.

“My mom would call me every day and be like, ‘I can’t lose you. Come home. Who cares about your job?’” Coleman said.

Since the outbreak began making international headlines, Coleman has been documenting the situation from Jiaxing in hopes of diffusing panic and the spread of misinformation in communities back home. On Feb. 4, a video of a supermarket included a caption that read: “Another full grocery store?!?! ThE MaDneSs”

On Feb. 5, Coleman created a post in the unofficial Dover, NH Facebook page encouraging members to ask questions.

“I am creating this post to share the opportunity for people to ask questions and see pictures and videos of what it is currently like in China with coronavirus,” Coleman wrote. “Presently things are quite alright. Many people have chosen to stay indoors and not go out. Others choose to follow safety precautions (mask and gloves) and venture outside.”

The post has gathered dozens of likes and comments, many thanking Coleman for sharing first-hand information and offering a space for people to ask questions.

“I really wanted people to know that we aren’t facing this horrible pandemic, that we’re actually OK, and maybe don’t believe everything we’re hearing on the news,” Coleman said. “Let’s not perpetuate this idea that China is this backwards, dirty country.”

The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared Covid-19 a pandemic after the number of deaths passed 4,000 worldwide. The Chinese government has been criticized for not acting fast enough to contain the virus, as well as for its containment strategies, which in some cities includes a feature in the popular app Alipay, which tells you whether you should be in quarantine.

Coleman called the current situation in the U.S. “disheartening.” He fears the current health care system could leave many Americans behind in the scramble to contain the virus.

But Coleman stressed, as one of the goals of spreading awareness and conversation online, to be mindful of double standards against China.

“In the West, it was really like, ‘Oh, look at China, this authoritarian government, this lockdown, these draconian laws,’ which it really wasn’t at all. Italy is having their own lockdowns and they aren’t viewed as draconian or authoritarian,” Coleman said.