“I hope everyone will remember the people who sacrificed themselves for this movement,” 19-year-old student protester Lawrence told VICE. “It’s okay to focus on the coronavirus right now, but please don’t forget about the people who died because of the CCP’s (Chinese Communist Party) tyranny.”

The coronavirus outbreak has, naturally, become a cause for concern among protesters. They worry that the world might forget about their mission because media attention has shifted to China and the outbreak, as fewer people gather for mass protests in the streets of Hong Kong. With China just next door, they also worry that, if more drastic measures are not taken to prevent further spread of the virus, Hong Kong may be next in line for a massive outbreak. Many fear that it could lead to something similar to the 2003 SARS epidemic that killed over 200 people in Hong Kong .

Lam has repeatedly refused to close the three remaining border crossings between Hong Kong and mainland China. This led to a strike that included more than 3,000 medical workers and lasted for just under a week. They protested based on the belief that the government would rather bow to Beijing than save the lives of ordinary Hong Kongers. Lam maintained that a full border closure would be “discriminatory” and “impractical,” although 10 out of 13 crossings have now been shut down.

One person joked on Reddit that , “there is nothing more painful than an Asian mom deleting you from her phone.”

“I had high hopes for (Hong Kong Chief Executive) Carrie Lam, and that’s why I took a photo with her. Now I think she’s the worst of all the previous Chief Executives. Why does the wellbeing of Hong Kong have to depend on approval from China?” she said. “Politics? Fine. But our wellbeing? I think it’s ridiculous. I’ll delete the photo we took together.”

One elderly woman went viral on social media last week after she was interviewed by local TV stations about her complaints.

Public trust in Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing government has also plummeted , even among older generations who have historically been loyal to the establishment.

Lawrence agreed, saying that the CCP's failure to handle the outbreak properly only reignited their anger and cemented the movement’s purpose. Many protesters see the spread of COVID-19 as a humiliation to the CCP, which has struggled to contain it .

“If you ask me, it will benefit the protests,” Peggy said.

Peggy, 18, another student protester, said that their priority at the moment is to keep everyone safe. Both students believe that in the long run, the outbreak will make the Chinese government weaker.

“It shows us that Carrie Lam doesn’t treat Hong Kongers as her people,” said Peggy. “It shows us that Hong Kongers are less important than those in the mainland, and that we are not served by the Chinese or Hong Kong government.”

Hong Kongers are also angry that the government has failed to provide basic supplies to its people, such as hand sanitizers, soaps, face masks, rice, and meat.

One man’s story caused further anti-government sentiment after he was seen crying on television, lamenting that he once again was not lucky enough to buy masks for himself and his family, after standing in line for many hours for the umpteenth time.

Protesters are hopeful that this discontent can transform into support for the pro-democracy movement.

“The support of the elderly is important to us. They might start to understand why the protesters do what we do and think of us as victims, rather than as destructive perpetrators,” said Peggy.

“If they don’t defend the government, the dissenting voice will be louder, and we’ll be more united.”

They hope the outbreak can mark the beginning of the end for the CCP’s almost century-long rule over China as authorities face criticism for their response to the outbreak.

Victoria Tin-bor Hui, an associate professor at the Department of Political Science at Notre Dame University, said that the public’s anger over the coronavirus is largely aimed at Lam’s inaction.

Lam initially refused to evacuate Hong Kongers from Wuhan. She is also criticised for removing the toll fee for small vehicles crossing the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, which connects China with Hong Kong, to encourage travel by that route. The bridge has been underused since it opened and efforts to attract more travellers had been planned even before the coronavirus outbreak, but Lam’s timing came off as irresponsible.

“The government is trying to make Hong Kong an exit option for Beijing’s elites. Everyone can see that, even the most politically unaware can see it,” Hui told VICE.

Labor strikes have historically been looked down on by the Hong Kong public, and few workers have dared to rally out of fear for retribution. But the coronavirus outbreak has changed that mentality, Hui said. More than 80 percent of Hong Kongers supported the medical workers’ strike, according to a Public Opinion Research Institute poll.