By now, who does not know about the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020?
As of the time of writing this blogpost (April 9, 2020), there have been +1.5 million
confirmed cases, 95,000+ deaths, and 353,000+ recovered cases.
Where did this virus come from? You probably know and can recite the information verbatim and ad noseeum. However, let me give you a brief timeline from my perspective.
Brief COVID-19 History in Korea
COVID-19 came out of Wuhan, China back in late December 2019 (some argue earlier). I visited home on Christmas and returned to Korea on January 14th. By the time winter vacation ended (first week of February), everyone--including my elementary school students--was familiar with the novel coronavirus. There were a few cases in Korea until it
exploded on February 19th. The number of confirmed cases increased drastically.
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| On a snowy train platform, with a mask |
Personal Experience
On Friday, February 21st, I was enjoying my day off in Busan (
click here for that post). I believe I got a stomach bug, considering the kind of diarrhea I got. However, I was also feverish and wobbly. After getting so many extreme alerts of coronavirus cases in Busan, I began to wonder without ever really believing I had it. Besides, no one ever spoke about getting diarrhea as a symptom.
My fiance (boyfriend at the time) called me and asked how I was. He saw I wasn't well and worked with me, trying to find the best solution for me. After a nap that made me feel worse and some research on his part, we decided I should return to my apartment that very night. I needed to get home in case I felt worse. Imagine feeling sicker in the morning I was supposed to check out of the hotel. At least being back, I'd be more comfortable and less stressed.
I returned home that night. If memory serves me accurately, I didn't feel worse. Perhaps it was the adrenaline of the night's mission: getting back to my apartment. When I have a goal, I can be very focused.
The next morning, after talking it over with my boyfriend and main co-teacher, I went to Yonsei Hospital (the same one
I spent a weekend in 2 summers ago). They had a few white tents outside to test people suspected of this new virus. The hospital appeared closed, but it was really just heavily protected against anyone who could carry the virus and infect the already weak/sick/recovering patients. I went into a white tent and was quickly processed, even though hardly an English word was spoken. I had my ARC (Alien Registration Card = I.D.) and my Health Insurance Card, so I was ready.
They checked my temperature. They had me wait for a bit. My boyfriend and I were trying to stay in touch the whole time (the wifi signal wasn't the best, and my phone didn't have data at the time). I was called to the doctor's "trailer"(?) for further examination.
This doctor spoke English pretty well. She, like all the others, was dressed in full-body protective gear like the nurse in the photo below:
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| Only shot I could get while being checked quickly |
I had my temperature and heart-beat checked. I answered questions (cough? no. Fever? I used to. Cold? No. Traveled to China? Never.). The doctor was pretty convinced that I didn't have the virus, but did prescribe medicine for my fever and weakness. I returned to the 1st tent and was given the prescription to provide the pharmacist.
I went to the pharmacy, got my meds, paid, and went home. I told my boyfriend I was going back. He was beyond relieved. Until I returned to school on Tuesday the 25th, I rested and recovered at home. I returned to school still a bit weak, but ok.
COVID-19 Effect on Schools in Korea
Schools in Korea finished the 2019 school year by February 14th. The 2020 school year was supposed to start on March 2nd. Many knew this was not going to happen. We officially got word that the opening of the school year got postponed for one week (until March 9th). I knew it was serious when even I was told to stay home. Native English Teachers are usually required to go to school even when schools are closed. To see I was told to stay home and
not come to school was a bit of a shock--a pleasant shock if I'm honest.
Then the government delayed the first day of school for two more weeks (March 9th - 23rd). Finally, it was extended another two weeks (March 23rd - April 6th). My school called me in to teach two English classes to two groups of daycare students. Some students go to daycare at school because their parents need to go to work and cannot leave their children alone. The first class consisted of eight 3rd graders, the second class of two 4th and two 5th graders placed together. The contract teacher/co-teacher and I were given very last-minute short notice about these classes (classes started on Tuesday; told about them Monday afternoon). It wasn't too bad, but the last-minute notification was annoying.
The classes were on Tuesday, 24. March - Friday, 3. April.
I did not finish those classes.
*By the way, last I heard, Korean students will return to classes--online. University students were already taking online courses. High school and some middle school grades will begin online classes on April 9th. Other middle school grades and elementary 4th-6th graders will begin April 16th. The youngest elementary students (grades 1st-3rd) will begin online classes on April 20th. This is the last I heard. We all know how quickly information changes, so remember this was true when I heard it at the end of March 2020.*
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| Leaving my main school for the last time |
The Decision to Leave
Korea had taken COVID-19's threat seriously. When many countries around the world stocked up on toilet paper (this still baffles me), Koreans were stocking up on face masks. Toilet paper ran out in many countries, but in Korea, it was face masks.
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Face mask section
All masks sold out |
Koreans were cautious, taking social distancing very seriously. The buses would roll by with two - seven passengers at a time. Even I went out only once a week to get provisions for food and my sanity. As soon as I returned from my excursion, I was already looking forward to the following week's outing. Most food-related businesses and all pharmacies were open. Almost everything else was closed. My area of Masan, with a university and a happening downtown area, became a ghost town. Very weird.
By the time I returned to school, I had noticed people had started to come out more and more. Life was beginning to come back to normal. More people rode the buses again. More couples went out. Friends were out and socializing. Life appeared to be coming back to how it was before, only everyone wore face masks. Some businesses remained closed too. The optimism was blooming with the cherry blossoms, contagious as ever. I also felt the optimism was premature.
I saw headlines to several news and opinion articles. They stated that any American overseas should return home or be prepared to stay abroad "indefinitely." That word, "indefinitely," scared me a little. How long was "indefinitely?" It felt longer than three months.
I had three months left on my contract. If I finished in June and left in the first week of July as planned, could I be guaranteed an available flight home? With all the changes going on--and how quickly they were happening--the answer was very discouraging.
Not gonna lie: I was leaning towards finishing my contract. If I broke my contract, I'd lose out on quite a bit of money. I wasn't worried about the workload, as all schools were transitioning to online--and no one had an idea of what to do. Through the little I was able to catch from my co-teachers' expressions, it appeared as though I would not be needed anyway.
My fiance and I talked about my departure (or not) for hours. At last, we were able to reduce the issue into one question: Money or my fiance?
That made the choice so much easier to make.
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| Empty park (not really, but looked that way) |
My final day at school was Tuesday, 31. March. I tied up all loose ends on 1. April.
I left Korea and returned home on 2. April.
I'll share that journey in the next post.
