An audio recording of an elderly Shanghai resident pleading with a community committee cadre has circulated online. In the call, the elderly man says he has run out of food and medicine, is feeling unwell, and wishes to visit a hospital for a check-up. The cadre replies that the case has been reported to higher authorities but no response has been received. Pressed by the caller, the cadre says many households are in distress and that he feels powerless: “I also wish they would come and save ordinary people like us.” Several related posts have been deleted or restricted from sharing. According to a report by The Paper, a news outlet under Jiefang Daily, the elderly man has since tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to a designated hospital following public attention to the recording.