Why we are still traveling to Asia with our child despite the novel coronavirus outbreak
Update 3/15/2020: Our trip to Japan back in February 2020 taught us to treat COVID-19 seriously. When we returned to Seattle, Washington state only had a double-digit number of positive cases. We were able to stock up our pantry early on, buy wipes, hand sanitizer, and embrace social distancing. Our trip to Japan also showed us how important it was for employees to wear face masks. Almost every business we entered had hand sanitizer for patrons to use.
We came back to Seattle and did not get sick. We worry about getting sick while we are back at home now.
Hi friends! Despite the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (not the Wuhan virus or China virus) outbreak, soon our family will travel to Japan. We booked this trip months before the virus’ outbreak. For weeks now, everyday we’re reading about new cases and the mounting death toll. New York Times reports:
“Deaths in China Rise, With No Sign of Slowdown"
Wuhan is under a lockdown, people are in quarantine, borders are closing, and even doctors are dying. Can the news coverage of the novel coronavirus get any more depressing? It’s no wonder fear, panic, and racism against the Chinese are spreading faster than wild fire.
The Guardian reports:
“Coronavirus deaths reach 563, with fresh cases on stricken cruise ship off Japan”
Like so many other coronavirus news article titles in publication, this article title is fear mongering. (It’s pure click bait too, I have to say. The words used just grab your attention: “fresh cases”, “deaths reach”, “stricken”. But when you read the article in depth, you realize the passengers are currently in quarantine (for 12 days). Thankfully no one has died on the ship, and Japan is taking care of this with great professionalism. These “fresh cases” should not spread across Japan.
The following news has been circulating, albeit more mutedly:
As of 2/6/2020, no one in the US has yet to die from a novel coronavirus infection, while the flu has already claimed 10000 lives across America. (1)
The novel coronavirus has a low fatality rate (high infection rate with low death rates) and a good chance of full recovery. (2) (Currently there are 566 reported deaths due to novel coronavirus.)
Children are mostly spared, and when they do get infected, their symptoms and signs are milder when compared to infected adults. (3) The flu, on the other hand, causes multiple pediatric deaths across America. (4)
https://www.nippon.com/en/news/l00263/japan-faces-crucial-moment-for-containing-coronavirus.html
Admittedly I have thought briefly about canceling our trip to Japan. One, I worry about Phil getting infected. I also worried about how we would be treated at the airport and when we’re in Japan. (We are Americans with Chinese ancestry.) Currently the CDC only recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to China. We won’t get a refund on our flight tickets. The CDC also warns about an outbreak of rubella, and that travelers should have updated MMR titers or vaccine prior to travel. There are no warnings about coronavirus in Japan.
We’re bringing hand sanitizer and face masks with us. When you travel to Japan, you will notice that the citizens often wear face masks. It’s considered rude to cough or sneeze, and not wear a face mask.
I want to be clear that I am not making light of this situation. I feel very sorry for the people in Wuhan. I can’t even begin to imagine what life must be like there. I mourn the deaths and hope for an end to this outbreak soon.
As a family, we don’t believe in disproportionate worry. We get our necessary vaccines, practice proper hand hygiene, and read and digest all news with a grain of salt. I encourage you to too, to see the virus as the enemy and not other people, and to use your best judgment instead of letting fear and panic guide you.
Remember H1N1, the swine flu of 2009-2010? That originated in America. Remember SARS? Ebola? MERS? We’ll get through this and beat the novel coronavirus. Stay informed, safe and healthy, everyone.
References
1) https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/03/the-flu-has-already-killed-10000-across-us-as-world-frets-over-coronavirus.html
2) https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-unnecessary-panic-experts-say-2020-1
3) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/health/coronavirus-children.html
4) https://www.thedailybeast.com/flu-not-coronavirus-is-the-virus-killing-us-kids-like-luca-calanni?ref=home
Coronavirus FAQ
Please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html for more information.