VIDEO 'Gun-hoarding,' racism: what COVID-19 brought to world

This is the second in a two-part series on what it is like to live with the coronavirus (COVID-19) in and out of Korea. ― ED.

By Dong Sun-hwa

Video by Lee Min-young, Kim Kang-min

The prolonged coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has engendered considerable changes in the lifestyles of people worldwide. The deadly virus triggered the “war” for masks in Korea and intensified hoarding of necessities in other countries. As of April 23, the world had more than 2.6 million confirmed cases and over 183,000 deaths.

To discuss what it is like to live with COVID-19 in and out of Korea, The Korea Times invited three foreign TV personalities here for a group interview on April 2 at a studio in Sangam-dong, northern Seoul.

Elody Stanislas (France), Cameron Lee Word (U.S.) and Sorensen Joakim Bjorn (Sweden) ― who have lived here for years and appeared on numerous TV shows ― shared their knowledge and experience in fluent Korean.

The following are excerpts from the three-hour interview.

Living with the coronavirus outside Korea

Q. Why do people hoard necessities?

Elody: Some French people do so for no specific reason. I believe they are merely imitating what the Americans do without judging things by themselves.

Cameron: I think I might have done the same if I had been staying in the U.S. Nowadays, people do not trust each other. If they see someone else buying bulk amounts of tissues, they just do the same, believing there will be no tissues left for them in the end.

Tissue is among few accessible items that people can get to “protect” themselves, too. Ordinary people can neither develop vaccines by themselves nor conduct research, so they merely purchase tissues to keep themselves clean. The U.S. also offers hand sanitizers for public use like Korea, but some Americans steal them or even drink them because they contain alcohol.

Some people even hoard guns and bullets for “self-defense.” In 2004, when Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S., there was a huge rise in the number of robberies. People today fear that the same thing will recur following the life-affecting pandemic, so as a mean to fight against the robbers who might trespass on their properties to steal their “survival products,” they are buying firearms.

Q. What do you think about the measures your countries take to tackle the virus?

Joakim: Lack of medical staff has been a serious problem in Sweden, even before the pandemic. We also do not have enough testing kits to carry out a test for everyone. The government asks people to stay at home ― instead of seeing a doctor ― if their symptoms are not serious. Our schools are all open. The Swedish government has come up with economic policies to give a hand to the self-employed and owners of small companies, but it does not seem to have many polices concerning people's health.

Elody: France also does not have enough medical staff and has not been prepared for a virus like this. We also lack testing kits. The government has banned people from walking out of their homes and it slaps a fine on those who violate this without permission. The fine was around 135 euros ($148) at first, but now it is about 650 euros ($712). Schools are all closed as well.

Cameron: It is challenging to get tested for the virus in the U.S., unless you are a celebrity or well-off. I heard that some are even offering money to hospitals so they can take the test faster. The test itself is expensive and we don't have sufficient kits, too. Hence, legions of Americans do not go to see their doctor even if they have symptoms. President Donald Trump also seemed to be more anxious about the economy.

Q. What do you think about the racist attacks on Asians in your countries following the virus outbreak?

Joakim: I think media reports are largely responsible for this, as they have mostly used photos of Asians and the Chinese when delivering news about the virus (patients). Then, whoever reads the news would believe that they are the ones with the virus. But now, almost all countries are suffering. So they should be fairer in reporting.

Cameron: The virus was actually dubbed “Wuhan coronavirus” in the beginning. I think this is a sign of racism because people might not have named the virus after the country if it had begun in the U.S.

I also think people should pay more attention to “micro aggression.” For example, in the U.S., some avoid going to restaurants and shops run by Asians because of “virus fears.” This is wrong. Such micro aggression can deal a serious blow to the restaurants' owners, who make a living from their eateries and shops.