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‘I’d Rather Be Here’: An Expat Perspective From South Korea
An appreciation for robust coronavirus testing, drive-thru clinics, and a strong national response
It wasn’t long after the coronavirus outbreak started that expats in South Korea, like me, started fielding misinformed panic from friends and family back in the United States. This isn’t new for us. Every time something bad happens in South Korea, misinformation goes viral in America, and we get bombarded with worried messages.
In the wake of this outbreak, these worried messages quickly escalated. Families started pressuring expats to “get out while you can.” Their messages contained warnings, threats, and links to news articles. But many of us responded to this barrage with the same feeling: We don’t want to leave.
A friend back home in Massachusetts recently asked if I planned to leave. When I said no, he asked if I had supplies, if the government was quarantining us, if I could go outside. (Yes. No. Yes.)
When people see the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases coming out of South Korea in the news, what they don’t see are the community and government response. Yes, there are drive-thru clinics. But it’s more than that. Korea rapidly scaled up testing to the point of testing 20,000 people a day.
There are posters everywhere outlining proper hygiene etiquette to prevent the continued spread of the virus. Every day, people are disinfecting buses, elevators, and other high-traffic public places. Everyone is being kept up to date with live stats and newsbreaks. People are conscious, helpful, and concerned for the well-being of others. When I bought a jacket last week, the woman behind the counter handed me a face mask for free when she saw I didn’t have one.
If I were to catch the virus, South Korea is where I’d want to be.
As soon as the virus struck, developers got to work on apps and web services that enable citizens to track the virus. From very early on, I’ve been kept up to date on projected numbers, confirmed cases, number of deaths, and number of recoveries. I can view a map that shows where cases of the virus have popped up, where those people have been, and…
