Fear: The Real Coronavirus

Source: ABC News Au

Growing up in the states, the threat of a disease outbreak is relatively low. I was lucky that I never had to worry about facing an epidemic, even when threats like MERS and Swine Flu developed in my childhood.

Having parents as doctors, they always reassured me that the chances of catching those were extremely low and that my brother and I shouldn’t feel too worried. While getting a note from school in the eighth grade to watch out for and immediately keep your child out of school if exhibiting any flu symptoms was unsettling, the direct threat to me was…low.

11 years later, watching the outbreak of the coronavirus within a country where the spread continues to worsen has been interesting and worrisome at the same time.

After first hearing about the start of the disease in China in the beginning of January, I wasn’t too worried. While China is close to Korea, there didn’t seem to be any reason to worry at that point.

Fast forward a month and a half later:

Oh boy, did I not know what was coming.

At this point, there’s over 3500 cases in Korea, over 2/3 of the cases in the city of Daegu, about 200 miles south of Seoul. While an extremely small percentage of the population has the virus (.0038 percent of the population to be exact) concerns have only grown here over the past 2 weeks. The cases skyrocketed seemingly overnight; from about 30 cases in total to 100, then 200, 600, 900, and so on.

To be fair, there’s only 82 cases in Seoul at the moment (.0008 percent of the population) and 12 reported cases in Songpa-gu, the area of Seoul I reside in (.001714 percent of the population). The numbers show that less than 1 percent of the population in every one of these areas has the virus. Yet, that didn’t curb any anxieties.

At first, people started wearing masks more. We were required at my academy to wear masks at all times in front of the students, disinfect the tablets we use to teach at the start of every class, and dispense hand sanitizer to each student frequently. The KCDC started broadcasting public campaigns everywhere; telling people to be aware of the symptoms, to wash their hands for at least 30 seconds and cover their mouths when coughing. But once the outbreak really took off, after a member of a notorious cult in Daegu called Shincheonji exposed thousands of fellow cult members to the virus, panic started to ensue.

Public outrage around the cult overtook every headline on the news. Once it was exposed that an SNS message had been circulated to all members of the cult to keep their identities a secret, lie about if they have the disease, this fed fuel to the fires.

After this, cases grew exponentially and panic spread like a wildfire. People began rapidly buying masks from every outlet they could, soon selling out every establishment. Also, public gatherings in Seoul and schools around the country were soon suspended, and the government began to urge people to stay inside and not go outside unless completely necessary.

Now, Seoul, with a population of 10 million people, seems as if it’s been the scene of an apocalypse. Many areas of the city are so eerily quiet, with only scatterings of people strewn throughout the neighborhoods. When you do see people, everyone (and I do mean everyone) is sporting a mask. If you’re unaware, even when the pollution is very bad in Seoul, only a handful of people choose to wear masks outside. To see 98 percent of people wearing masks now is bizarre, almost as if we were in the world of the movie Contagion.

My anxiety level has gone up, but in the face of this virus, I try to remember what the real virus is that is spreading: fear and panic. Media coverage feeds the hysteria that is growing and gives it strength to pass between and affect larger groups of people. While it’s necessary to be cautious, panic seems unnecessary now.

My 12 year old self might have been extremely terrified of the situation at hand. While I can’t say my worry isn’t there, I think back to the worry I felt back in eighth grade when Swine flu broke out. The feelings are similar, and I remind myself that this will pass. Cases have started to decrease in China (while in other countries, cases are only growing) and scientists are working furiously to create a vaccine. While I await the decision on whether my academy will be closed for another week or will reopen tomorrow, I try to keep cultivating my own vaccine to help myself in the wake of hysteria: hope.

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