COLORADO, USA — The views from Marissa, Chad, and their daughter Marysue's home in Shanghai, China have been strange lately.
They took a picture of a drone that flies above residential areas reminding people to wash their hands and stay distance.
A video they shared with 9NEWS showed a truck spraying something all over the streets, and the Hauser's said locals call it "COVID-killing spray."
"It’s something to be behind a gate knowing you can’t get out," said Marissa, a Colorado native, now teaching at an International school with her husband, Chad.
Their family is on day 19 of the COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai.
“I think if we had a definite date of when we were gonna get out I’d feel a lot better about it," said Marysue, their 17-year-old daughter. "But otherwise it’s just like we’re in here forever and we don’t know when we’re getting out."
The three family members are required to get daily COVID-19 tests in their residential compound. It's a gated complex with hundreds of people living in different buildings.
Usually the gates are open, but they've been locked for more than two weeks.
“People will say 'gosh, I don’t know how you guys are doing that,'" said Marissa. "'I could never do that', well we don’t have a choice."
Still, their family feels lucky compared to others in one of China's largest cities. They still have access to food that they order in groups. And every week they get a bag of government vegetables.
This is what Shanghai looks like during the COVID lockdown
Within their compound, they've been bartering via text.
“My daughter just had her birthday in lockdown on Saturday and I had really wanted to make her cake," said Marissa. "So I put out in the group swap by chat, looking for cream cheese I can trade dishwasher detergent does anyone want to do that?"
Marysue also wanted mashed potatoes, and her dad was able to trade table salt for potatoes.
It wasn't exactly the 17th birthday she imagined.
"Yeah, imagine being 17 and you just hang out with your parents all the time," laughed Marissa.
"And we’re pretty fun," replied Chad.
The Hausers have loved their home in Asia for nine years, but said now it's time to go.
Their 14-year-old son flew home to Centennial with a friend when they learned school would be remote. The family is hoping to reunite with him in June.
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