2020 has been off to a rough start, with schools turning to online classes, and people being ordered to stay quarantined at home. Everything seems to be about COVID-19 lately: news channels, YouTube, and even social media. With all that is happening in the U.S, how are countries outside of the U.S. handling this pandemic?
Taking South Korea as an example, South Korea has been handling the pandemic exceptionally well as compared to other countries. South Korea has the coronavirus under control with outstanding technology and communication. South Korea used text alerts and apps on smartphones to give people the latest updates on testing and information from doctors. South Korea quickly responded to the outbreak with large-scale testing and identifying threats quickly. Unlike what is happening in the U.S., South Korea did not need a large shutdown. The government gave important information on how many people were infected in each spot and city in real-time, constantly updating websites that tracked cases and the number of people tested.
On top of all of this, travelers are required in Korea to download a Self-Diagnosis app on their phone, which requires them to check for symptoms and report it in the app daily for 14-days after arrival. With all of these smart measures taken, South Korea is slowly starting to reopen again.