I was raised in Sydney and now reside in Seoul, South Korea, where I am a university professor. I’d like to share some of what has been happening since the COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year.
Coronavirus was taken a lot more seriously and earlier here than many places as the number of cases was much higher and the outbreak began nearly a month ahead of other countries. However, I can't say enough how impressed I am with the way Korea - both its people and government - have handled the situation so far.
The testing has been ongoing and effective. There are even drive-thru testing stations. People have been social distancing here for many weeks already. Netflix and video games are all the rage. Online grocery shopping has exploded, as have restaurant deliveries. All public, private schools and after-school programs have been cancelled for three weeks. Anyone who isn’t working due to coronavirus, or who needs to be home with children during school closures, is paid 70 per cent of their wages. Every 30 minutes, mass text messages are sent to everyone in the country announcing the location of new cases and where those patients recently travelled so that others can know if they may have come into contact with the virus.
It's because of such measures that the fatality rate here is very low.
Actually, the situation here was very much under control until about a month ago when an infected member of a church ignored orders to self-quarantine and ended up infecting 80 per cent of the congregation. It is believed that 70 per cent of all Korean infections can be traced back to this one "super spreader."
Life has changed. People are staying at home. But supermarkets are still fully stocked and have tons of toilet paper. You won't see anyone in the streets without a mask. It's a little scary, of course, but I'm actually quite happy to be here where they've taken proactive measures to contain the situation.
But I'm really nervous to watch the impending chaos unfold in North America and Europe in the coming weeks. People back home need to be prepared to be inconvenienced. It's going to affect a ton of lives. Especially financially. However, people need to listen and obey health officials. Otherwise, it's going to affect hundreds of thousands more lives than necessary. Many of you might hear "it's just a flu" or think "I'm young and healthy, so I'll be fine!." Realize, there's a 1 5 per cent fatality rate for those over 75 years of age. That could easily be your grandfather or your mother that catches it from you.
Gordon MacCoy
Seoul, South Korea
(formerly of Sydney)
