Fleeing Denmark in Light of COVID-19 pt 2

Over the course of two hours, I packed up my entire life into a couple of bags and left for the Copenhagen airport.

It’s unbelievable how much our entire world (literally) can be flipped upside down over the course of two days. I never thought I’d be flying back to the US, in the middle of March, in a fit of anxiety.

The airport is empty and silent. Despite the lack of people, there is an eerie panic in the air. People sit in silence, waiting to see what will happen next. The loudspeaker repeats the same warning over and over again.

In a calm and chilling voice, we’re told to limit our physical contact. Do not gather in large groups. Do not greet others with a hug or kiss. Don’t cough; but if you need to, you better not cough into your hands.

The tone of her voice sounds like one you might hear in a dystopian film.

Everything feels so surreal right now. Here I am, sitting on a plane on my way to Oslo, Norway. I plan to fly back to New York today after my layover, but who knows what will happen to travel restrictions within the next few hours? The plane has not yet left, so there is still a possibility that this flight will be cancelled.

On the plane every passenger has an entire row to themselves. Generally having more room would be a blessing, but in this case it’s only a reminder of the fact that the entire world is in a state of panic.

Since Denmark has a level 3 advisory, at this point, upon return I must self quarantine for 14 days. Luckily I’ve found living arrangements (thank you to everyone who has been so kind and eager to help), so the uncertainty of housing is now eliminated, at least for the time being.

I wonder how it will be spending two weeks in self isolation. What will I do? Will I go crazy? How are others handling this situation?

Humans are social creatures, and I think these next few weeks, and hopefully not, but possibly next few months, will definitely be challenging for many.

While my body wastes away due to lack of activity, I guess I’ll spend the next few weeks reading all the books I’ve been hoarding. Maybe this time will be an opportunity to learn a few new skills and more time to invest in my hobbies.

But, after that? What’s going to happen? Will this virus impact summer plans? Will graduation be cancelled? How long will this be the only topic of conversation? Will the 2020 election be impacted? Will Trump remain in office?

I have a feeling that this is only the beginning. Maybe airports will shut down within the next week. What happens if grocery stores decide to close? Is that possible? Will they run out of food just as they (likely) ran out of toilet paper? I could be overhyping this, and I truly hope I am, but the only way to handle this virus effectively is to ask some very important questions and come up with logical and conclusive plans in case the situation continues to escalate.

I just recently landed in Norway, so for the time being, I’m okay. I’m waiting for my next flight, which is in a couple of hours, but I will provide updates as they unfold.