Coronavirus fears now hitting Koreans in US
A staff member cleans a door at Bothell High School on Feb. 27, 2020 in Bothell, Washington.David Ryder / Getty Images
By Jane Han
SEATTLE ― Contrary to the coronavirus chaos in their motherland, Koreans in the U.S. have been at peace for the most part, only worried about their loved ones back home, up until a few short days ago. Now the situation has drastically changed.
With the virus spreading fast and death tolls rising just over the weekend here in the Seattle area, Koreans are starting to feel nervous about what's ahead right where they live.
``This was an outbreak waiting to happen,'' said Jenna Choe, 41, a mother of three, who lives close to the area that saw one of the first deaths from COVID-19. ``It felt almost eerily odd that such a limited number of cases were being reported in the U.S.''
As of March 2, U.S. health officials have tested 43 positive cases of the new virus nationwide with six confirmed deaths. All six deaths are in Washington state.
Many experts are beginning to say that there are likely hundreds _ maybe even thousands _ of cases left undiagnosed due to the strict testing criteria set out by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
``For us Koreans, we see a stark contrast between the way coronavirus testing and contact tracing are handled here in the U.S. and in Korea,'' said Kim, 38, who returned from Seoul last week but didn't want to be fully named.
``In Korea, I felt that information regarding the whereabouts of those who contracted the virus was shared well and thoroughly with the public. I was able to make safe decisions based on the information provided real-time,'' he said. ``Here, the virus and its potential reach and damage seemed downplayed for much too long. And even now, we don't know the exact contact tracing details of the infected patients.''
Getting tested for COVID-19 itself comes as a burden for many after the Miami Herald reported last week that an American man, who feared he contracted coronavirus during a business trip to China, was charged $3,270 for getting tested for both the flu and the new virus.
Questions about costs associated with COVID-19 testing have been continuously filling up online forums popular among Koreans in the U.S.
``I've had flu-like symptoms for the past couple days, but I'm terrified that I'll get slapped with a huge medical bill if I go in for coronavirus testing,'' wrote one user.
Another anonymous user wrote, ``The unpredictable costs that'll probably end up as the patient's responsibility will ultimately lead more people to go undiagnosed, consequently spreading the virus to more people.''
Amid escalating anxiety, one of the latest positive cases involves a Korean woman, who returned to Seattle after traveling to Daegu, the hotbed of COVID-19 infections, and worked a full day at the U.S. Postal Service before experiencing symptoms.
As a precautionary measure, most Korean organizations, churches and schools are cancelling planned events and activities.