COVID-19 Diaries: What It’s Like Being In Quarantine In Changwon, South Korea, 92 Days In

Mira from Wales, United Kingdom began a teaching position in Changwon, South Korea 3 months ago. She is presently under self-quarantine in her apartment together with her partner because of the COVID-19 outbreak in Changwon, 1433km away from Wuhan, and they have been asked to continue to self-quarantine until further notice. She told us what that feels like.

Q: Hi Mira, thanks for connecting with us all the way from Changwon, South Korea! When did you first hear about the 2019-nCoV novel coronavirus and what did you think of it then? 

A: I first heard about the 2019-nCoV novel coronavirus during the middle of January. The Korean news began to report on the break out in Wuhan. Initially I was unsure of how to react. Korea is clearly very close to China. But information about the effects of the virus were very mixed. Gradually children and staff at the school started wearing more masks. From the start of February, the school put hand sanitiser at the entrance doors, and more and more concerned conversations about the virus could be heard around Changwon city. But in truth I downplayed the seriousness of the issue, as I wanted to enjoy my life in a new country and also, I felt sceptical of how western media reports on China, as it is often prone to be sensationalist. Also the trade war shapes news reports. So I was sceptical of reports on corona.  

How concerned are you now? How bad is the COVID-19 outbreak where you are—what are the numbers? 

When I heard on Saturday afternoon that the first person in Changwon had been infected with the virus, my heart sank. The night before I had been out in the city centre with my partner, enjoying cocktails and Korean BBQ. But everywhere we went, people were in masks and the streets were more quiet than usual. On our walk home, we saw a crane hoisting temporary housing into the hospital, and we realised things were getting serious. A week later, Changwon has 16 cases. No new cases have been registered since Wednesday. Hopefully it is under control now. 

How did you end up under quarantine? What did you do that put you at risk of contracting COVID-19?

I am in voluntary self-quarantine, under instructions from our employer, as the virus has reached my local area. I work with children, and all public schools have been told to close their doors until further notice. That’s also the case for where I work and other private academies. We saw this quarantine container (see images) being delivered to our nearby hospital at 1am on Saturday morning, we went out at usual on the Friday night—it was quieter than usual. We saw this sight on our walk home and realised something was very wrong. By Saturday mid-day we were told to self-quarantine as the virus had reached our city. 

Where are you presently being quarantined? Can you describe the size of your accommodation and all the features within it? 

I am in my apartment. We are fortunate that we have a spacious apartment as we applied for a couple position, it is on the 17th floor so we are lucky enough to have a balcony with a view for when we feel stuffy or need a breather.

What is your daily routine like in quarantine? Does anybody come to check on you regularly? 

Our Korean colleagues and friends we’ve made text and check in on us now and then, the apartment communal areas are sanitised daily and we receive any information from the guards via a built-in tannoy. It’s all in Korean but our Korean neighbours kindly translate it to us via messages. 

Are there any quarantine rules you are expected to follow? Things you must do or things you must never do? 

They’re not rules but we’ve had guidelines such as to boil water before drinking it or use bottled water, to thoroughly wash produce such as meat and veg. And my friend from Hong Kong who recently experienced a self-quarantine period advised me to regularly disinfect sinks and drains with bleach, especially as we lived in an apartment block. 

How does food, water and supplies get to you when you’re in quarantine? 

We were lucky enough to have groceries paid for and delivered by our very generous boss on the first day of self-quarantine. My partner, Lloyd has been out since to replenish stock and we sanitise all products and our clothes if we need to go outside to buy food. 

What do you do to keep your brain sharp and body healthy? 

As a wellbeing advocate back in the UK, I was quick to set up a list of things to do when I discovered we’d be confined indefinitely. I started a blog on WordPress and regularly follow YouTube workouts from mild cardio to 10 minutes of yoga. This period of inactivity meant that we had to stock up on healthy foods; frozen fruit to make smoothies, brown rice to keep us full and vegetables to eat daily. We regularly speak to family and friends too. 

Seriously, how does it feel to be confined to a small space and not allowed to leave for days? What’s the best and worst parts of it? 

It’s surreal to say the least. But like anything in life, you should make the best of any situation. We both have individual writing projects we are working on and now have the time to start. But not being able to go out when you’re a very outgoing person is a tough one. It’s like being in a very comfortable prison where you have the freedom to do anything apart from go out. I miss eating out the most and just being outside and sharing the same air with everyone. 

What would happen if you did try to leave? 

No repercussions. I am voluntarily self-quarantined to avoid contracting the virus and complying with advice and guidelines from people of Korea. 

How have the people around you (neighbours, friends, family) reacted to your being put under quarantine? 

People have been so supportive here. In truth, I feel safer here in this country than anywhere else right now knowing that they are controlling it the best they can and they are putting people first. That’s not the same treatment we’d receive in the UK. South Korean people are some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met with great concern for their elderly citizens. The reason for so many cases being found here is because the government have put protocols in place to actively seek out virus carriers in order to protect those most vulnerable to it. Regardless of your status here, whether you are on a temp visa or here illegally, South Korea has provided free virus tests for everyone in order to put an end to the mess. 

Which 3 items or people are most useful for you right now? 

1: My partner, I’m not sure how I would have remained so calm and patient if he wasn’t here for me. The thought of being alone like so many other foreign teachers here is the reason I started my blog, to reach out to anyone on self-quarantined alone right now.
2: My laptop— video call for connecting, Netflix for entertainment, WordPress for writing and YouTube for workouts.
3: The people of Korea—friends, colleagues and neighbours for their constant update and concerns— they keep us in the loop with what’s going on which gives us peace of mind. What do I miss about the outside world? The world, I miss being out in the world, meeting new people, discovering new things. 

What advice do you have for people who have been ordered to go into quarantine too?

I have a list of things that I have mentioned on my blog ‘Welcome to Quaranteam’. It’s probably the most important time of your life when you need to keep busy and healthy (mentally and physically). 

Is there anything you wish you did earlier that would have helped make your quarantine process better? 

Not really. It is what it is. You can’t prepare for these things when you don’t expect them to come to you. We wished we stocked up on masks but I think everybody is in the same boat with that one. 

What’s the first thing you’re going to do when your quarantine period ends? 

Go to Lounge Groo in Changwon and drink a margarita (or five).

Lastly, what have you learned from being quarantined that you didn’t know before?

1–That happiness truly is freedom.
2–The best time to learn about yourself and any hidden potential you have is when you’re confined. As a former prison teacher I fully understand why undiscovered potential is found when you’re caged. I’ve loved to draw since I could pick up a pencil. When life gets in the way as an adult you forget about what you once loved, today on day 9 of self-quarantine I started to draw again and produced one of the best sketches I’ve drawn since I first picked up a pencil. 

Mira hopes to be able to go back to teaching ASAP (“We miss the kids!”) and to save, build a foundation and explore the world in the future. You can read more about her present status at miramiraoyw.wordpress.com or provide her with some entertainment by chatting with her using the comment box below. 

Tomorrow, we’ll see the situation in Hong Kong, a country that was earlier also hit by a COVID-19 outbreak, but has since gotten their numbers of infected stabilised. Follow the latest in our COVID-19 Diaries series here.

If you’re in a country that has been affected by the novel coronavirus and would like to share information about the situation where you’re at, do get in touch with us here.

Photographs courtesy and copyright of Mira. Interviewer: Sy
Sponsor or support the COVID-19 Diaries series here.
If you found this article useful: