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I've been traveling in Asia for 3 weeks in the midst of the deadly coronavirus outbreak, and actually catching the virus is far from my biggest fear

Feb 18, 2020, 21:09 IST

The biggest, most inescapable visual reminder of the coronavirus is the constant presence of surgical masks.

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Masks are selling out in South Korea and Vietnam.

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Governments are being forced to take action against scammers.

In Seoul, signs asking people to wear masks in public are inescapable.

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Ho Chi Minh City has fewer signs in public places, but some businesses that I visited would not allow people to enter without wearing a mask.

I had my temperature taken at both factories, as well as when I checked into my hotel.

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In other words, two of the most prominent weapons to fight the coronavirus — masks and thermometer guns — are mostly for show.

The masks, the signs, and the rules make it impossible not to think about the coronavirus constantly.

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I recognize that logically it is unlikely I will catch the coronavirus. And, worries about the coronavirus itself don't keep me up at night.

I feel more uneasy about getting quarantined for hours or days due to a false positive from a thermometer gun or another sickness I catch while traveling.

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The threat of being quarantined while visiting a new area or being banned from entering a country due to past travels is also a concern.

I also worry about racist backlash that is not officially sanctioned by local governments.

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These fears and the inability to predict what will happen next have forced me to be far more flexible on this trip than I would usually be.

Ultimately, daily life as a tourist has continued pretty unencumbered by the coronavirus.

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Crowds have been noticeably small in some tourist hotspots.

I am ultimately unlikely to be quarantined for weeks or face racism as a tourist.

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So, for now, my travels continue.

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