Viral Like MERS

Dear Korean,

Me and a friend of mine have everything booked. Flights, hotells, and more. But due to MERS. How safe is it to enter the country?

Tina

TK does wish that there was a viral disease that selectively destroyed grammar errors and poor spelling.

But onto MERS. Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome is no laughing matter. Korea is now second in the world in the number of those who tested positive for MERS, clocking in at 138 patients, 14 of whom passed away. More than 3,600 people are under quarantine after having come into contact with MERS patients.

A wedding photo that will go down in history.
(source)

Is it safe to visit Korea? This is one of those questions that you should really ask your country's government rather than a random Internet stranger with a blog. In the case of the United States, Center for Disease Control issued a Level 1 advisory regarding MERS outbreak in Korea, essentially advising that it is ok to travel as long as one takes usual precautions like washing hands regularly.

This seems more or less correct. Although the number of the infected is high, Korean government has done a fairly decent job in actually tracing exactly how each patient came to be infected, for the most part. As can be seen from this kinda-awesome, kinda-terrifying infographic from KBS News, in nearly all cases the patients contracted MERS from a hospital. Vast majority of those who passed away were over 70 years old and in poor health. 

So it seems that as long as you are in good health and you have good hygienic habits, you would be more or less fine in Korea. Says a random Internet stranger who has absolutely no expertise in these matters. It might not be a bad idea to take a mask.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

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