CORONAVIRUS: The Beginning
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The author about to board her plane to the US.
Still reeling from this disaster, people discovered the news shifting to the deadly virus in Wuhan, China. The symptoms of coronavirus sounded like a very bad flu: fever, cough, muscle pain, pneumonia; but unlike the flu, coronavirus could not be checked with a vaccine, and it was deadly. Defying Chinese authorities, some doctors from Wuhan posted online horrific reports about coronavirus. The novel virus was highly contagious; it was spreading like wildfire; it was killing huge numbers of people.
Filipinos were appalled that the Philippine government continued to allow ships and planes from China to land in the Philippines. Indeed, I saw numerous mainland Chinese, young, many of them working in gambling establishments.
While I was in Cebu for the first leg of my trip, news broke of a sick boy suspected of having coronavirus, but people were later relieved to learn he did not have it. On January 30, however, there was a confirmed case of coronavirus, a Chinese woman who had visited Cebu, Dumaguete, and Manila.
She was reportedly the first case of coronavirus in the Philippines, and, though wary, Filipinos carried on with their lives. But the next day, Case Number One’s male companion suddenly died from the infection. This was the first coronavirus death outside China. Overnight Filipinos realized coronavirus was right there, in their midst. People bought all medical face masks and alcohol from drug stores. The medical masks that I had brought for Taal’s ash fall suddenly became valuable and necessary.
“There was a tense moment at the Los Angeles International airport (LAX) when passengers from Asia were segregated. I was afraid the US would quarantine us. That would have meant 14 days in a US military base. ”
Coronavirus spread very quickly in Asia -- to Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore -- and borders to these places were being closed. I was afraid that if there were more cases in the Philippines, the US would stop flights from the Philippines.
I sequestered myself where I stayed and monitored the situation. I counted the days until I would return to the US. I dropped the sightseeing and shopping that I usually enjoy while in the Philippines; I saw friends only in places that were not crowded.
Two days before my February 5 departure date from Manila to Los Angeles, I was notified of flight changes. There were some harrowing moments when I thought I might not make the flight. Suddenly I found my flight was not confirmed; all flights to China and Hong Kong from the Philippines were canceled; airlines were busy rebooking passengers. There was chaos and an underlying tension. At Manila International Airport, everyone wore medical masks and tried to stay away from one another. When someone coughed, people around became agitated. Before boarding the plane, there was an unusual interview asking where I’d been, if I’d visited Singapore and other Asian countries.
Even though the idea of breathing in recirculated air for 15 hours was creepy, it was a relief to finally get in the plane. Almost everybody in that plane wore masks. I kept mine on for the duration of the flight to Los Angeles.
There was a tense moment at the Los Angeles International airport (LAX) when passengers from Asia were segregated. I was afraid the US would quarantine us. That would have meant 14 days in a US military base. Some officials interviewed us, asking where we came from. I was quickly waved through, but I noticed that the American officials grilled the Chinese and Korean passengers.
When I finally wheeled my luggage out of LAX, I felt a sense of relief. I felt safe, that somehow, I had eluded the deadly virus. Busy keeping track of Philippine matters, I had not paid attention to the news that Washington State already had a coronavirus case on January 20, then shortly after, another case in Chicago, followed by a third case in Orange County, California.
Having just come back from a tense situation in the Philippines, I was surprised at the lackadaisical manner Americans treated coronavirus. Exclusion of travelers from some Asian countries seemed to be the only action taken. President Trump said the coronavirus was just like the flu. Using Chinese statistics, people confidently declared that only people over 60 years old and those with underlying medical conditions were seriously endangered. Later, students partied at the beaches of Florida, declaring nothing would stop them from enjoying their spring break.
A few days before the writing of this article, a woman in her thirties posted in Facebook that in late January she had bronchitis. Half the personnel in her office were also sick. One of them had visited China, she posted. Even in mid-March, she had an officemate who was still sick but did not take it seriously. I told her to impress upon this person to get herself tested. Furthermore, all of them should inform all those they had contact with to warn them. She did nothing.
I would learn that even people presumed to have the virus could not get tested. They were prescribed cough syrup and told to go home. It took the son of a friend who lives in New York two visits to ER before he was tested. He tested positive.
Cecilia Manguerra Brainard
Cecilia Manguerra Brainard is the author and editor of over 20 books, including the novels: When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, Magdalena, and The Newspaper Widow. Her recent book is Magical Years: Memories & Sketches, a collection of her reed and pen and ink sketches inspired by her childhood in Cebu, Philippines. This special limited edition is available from Amazon <https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0971945896>. Philippine Expression Bookshop carries many of Cecilia’s books -- 1–310–548‑8148 or 1–310–514‑9139.
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