Flying in the face of the coronavirus

Just as the coronavirus was starting to hit the news wires, I was packing for a journey thousands of miles away in New Zealand. Travel restrictions were announced for those entering from China, thankfully we booked a flight that didn’t include a layover in China (although with the considerable price drop I had thought about it). When it came time to actually board the plane for the first leg from New York to Los Angeles, the virus was relatively contained to China, with a few outlying cases all with a connection to China. 

Whenever I travel, I try to be more diligent about washing my hands and keeping my immunity strong, for this trip I took a few extra measures. For about 5 days before our travel date, I popped a probiotic pill each day. I figured the extra measure would keep the gut health in check and hopefully ward off any wayward germ that entered my system. 

Since landing in New Zealand, the spread of the virus has broken the borders of China and taken off in northern Italy, and beyond. Reports of escalated sales of face mask and cleaning supplies in the States have reached the news here in New Zealand. The balance of sanitation and taking extreme measures to protect oneself is a difficult path to navigate in these uncertain times. 

If anything is clear in the face of the coronavirus, it’s that we are a global economy. Passing the port in Wellington, there are thousands of logs sitting because they can’t ship to China. Tourism in NZ is heavily supported by Chinese visitors, who are now not allowed across their borders. 

Logs pilEd up waiting for export

A natural reaction is to fear the unknown elements of this virus, and opt for isolation. With all of our knowledge of disease, plagues are not supposed to be a modern occurrence. The reality is that no one is guaranteed of a tomorrow, with all of the safety measures, inventions, and knowledge, we still live in a decaying world. 

The risk to life seems greater today because it has a name and, with the internet, we know it is far-reaching. As I board a plane in a few days to return to the States, I’ll once again wash my hands a lot, keep the hand sanitizer close, and try not to touch my face. The risk of getting the coronavirus may be greater being out and about, but there are so many other risks with higher probability of happening (like driving in a car), and so far those haven’t kept me confined. 

Exploring the world - one country, one community, one adventure at a time!
~Michelle