Fans have no cooling effect once the ambient temperature exceeds human body temperature, so "making do with fans" is literally making do with nothing.
Those citizens "making do" generally have freedom of movement, free access to cool water, air-conditioned businesses or vehicles, and are not locked down in a concrete facility.
There is a absolutely no nuance to this.
> Fans have no cooling effect once the ambient temperature exceeds human body temperature
Sweat is a wet-bulb cooling process which always cools below ambient for any humidity less than 100%.