Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

It’s 3 days before Valentine’s day and it may just be one of the quietest Valentine’s in this part of the world. I don’t think people are raring to go out amidst the corona virus scare.

Vietnam has a total of 15 infected individuals but the good news is that 7 have already recovered.

With traveling so much easier these days, I realized how vulnerable we all are. In fact, the husband actually returned from China just as the corona virus news broke up.  We were unfazed until we learned how bad the outbreak was. If Australia was busy with the raging fires, China was appeasing the virus outrage.

Here in Vietnam, although the number of incidents is low compared to other South East Asian countries like Japan and Singapore, it is still worrisome. Last week, Vietnam Airlines started flights again to Hongkong, Macau, and Taiwan. Kinda worried that those that couldn’t get out of China and its specialized administrative regions are using Vietnam as their connecting country to their destination. Truly hope (fingers-crossed) that the Vietnam authorities continue to remain vigilant and transparent.

Admittedly, we’ve stocked up on face masks and hand sanitizers. For someone who is immunocompromised like me, this virus is truly a nightmare. It wasn’t easy though. Pharmacies ran out of stocks as soon as deliveries hit their stores. I actually saw a couple wearing latex gloves while walking around our neighborhood! I don’t know what to make out of things really. Isn’t everyone just panicking?

I truly, truly hope that this nightmare ends.

But for now, stay home if you’re sick or wear a mask when going out, wash your hands, and keep yourself updated on the news.

Happy Valentine’s Day! I guess.