I cannot even begin to comprehend how rapidly the situation in Canada has deteriorated. Considering there has only been 197 reported cases, as opposed to the 7,979  in South Korea. It is startling to think how easily we have abandoned reason for the mass panic that is proving to be far more infectious a virus that Corona/COVID-19 could ever hope to become.

I’ll admit, it was entertaining at first. People made memes about the toilet paper shortage, joked about how it took Roll Up The Rim to make Canadian’s wash their hands. I even saw someone post about how at least Betty White was still alive; the millennials way of gauging the oncoming apocalypse.

But now, seemingly overnight, the country has erupted into what can only be described as madness. There is legitimate fear in people’s eyes, and while I do not wish to undermine the gravity of the situation, the reality is that everything will be okay.

How do I know this?

Because I am living in the country with the third highest number of COVID-19 cases, outside of China. Because I have ten rolls of toilet paper in my closet, and a grocery store around the corner that has remained fully stocked. Because even in the city that has been hit the hardest, large businesses have remained opened. People are worried, and paranoid, yes. But they have not reacted anywhere close to the way Canada has.

And a lot of it has to do with the fact that they aren’t thinking only of themselves.

Korea, like many asian countries, is a collectivist society, meaning that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. It has been ingrained into their culture to view others within their community as extended family members, which is reflected in their language as well. An elderly man is called ‘hɑɾɑbod͡ʒi’ meaning grandfather, while an elderly woman is called ‘hɑɭmoni’ meaning grandmother. Even a female server at a restaurant would be addressed as ‘imo’ meaning aunt, while an older male/female friend would be referred to as either ‘obʰa/hʲʌŋ’ or ‘ʌnni/nunɑ’ meaning older brother/sister, respectively.

There are no strangers, which makes it near impossible to act selfishly. No one here is going to buy twenty cans of tuna, if it means that the shelves are empty for the neighbour they’ve never spoken to. People here support each other, because they know that it is their responsibility to do so.

And it is our responsibility as well.