Raleigh woman stuck in South Korea as coronavirus cases spike

Tonya Briggs was born in Raleigh, and her family still lives there. However, Briggs said, "The airlines that could take me home will stop service to South Korea from March 1 to March 30."

That short timeframe means she'd only have a few days to escape. As an American citizen, she could rush out of the county. However, her husband, who is a citizen of South Korea, would not be able to leave. Nor would they be able to take their beloved cat along.

So Briggs is staying put.

Briggs said it feels like a post-apocalyptic movie, something she never thought she'd experience. Each day, dozens upon dozens of text messages written in Korean buzz warnings to her phone.

The government website for Busan, where she and her husband live, also has regular notifications on movements for coronavirus-confirmed patients. The patients are named only by number, such as 'Busan-16' or 'Confirmed Patient-27.'

Notifications may show a patient movement update like this:

Briggs said every hour she's gotten a text message from the government warning where patients with coronavirus, or COVID-19, have been.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) confirmed 977 cases of coronavirus in South Korea, the largest national total anywhere outside China. Briggs and her family are about 50 miles from the outbreak epicenter.

Briggs has seen photos of coronavirus victims being taken away just two miles from her own home. Meanwhile, other photos show people forming in lines that circle entire buildings in order to purchase groceries.

Briggs said the government has closed schools in her area until March 9. However, some private institutions have refused to follow the mandate.

Thankfully, Briggs and her husband work from home. "We have a six-month supply of rice and dried foods," she said.

While she said she wishes she were in America right now, she would never leave her husband behind. She has no idea how long the outbreak would keep them separated. For now Briggs, her husband and her cat are hunkering down inside, waiting for the coronavirus risk to pass and watching a deadly global outbreak from a frighteningly close perspective.