Seattle to Paris
When we flew to Paris on Feb. 17 Coronavirus was only associated with travel to China and not yet a local concern in either the U.S. or France. Increased hand washing was not yet an obsession. Flight attendants did not wear face masks. At Charles de Gaulle Airport our passports were stamped without a single question. We hopped on a bus into the city and packed as much of Paris as we could into our one-day layover. Less than 2 weeks later the Louvre would close for 3 days to figure out how to deal with the growing Covid-19 crisis in Europe. When we were there it was business as usual. France had 0 confirmed cases of Coronavirus.
Paris to Venice
At Venice’s Marco Polo Airport the next morning we were greeted by very efficient men in red jumpsuits, facemasks and gloves, who, with a quick Buongiorno, pointed a contraption at our foreheads. I didn’t realize they were taking our temperatures until I saw a blue number light up on my daughter’s forehead.
Venice felt plenty busy but we were told crowds were down, especially for a week during Carnival. Tourists may have been hesitant because of the extreme flooding in the fall. There was no line to get into the Doges Palace or St. Mark’s Basilica, the two most popular tourist attractions in the Piazza San Marco.
On our last day in Italy, we walked to the Venice train station to meet up with our tour guide for a day trip in the Prosecco region of the Veneto. On our way I notice newspaper headlines posted outside shops with something about the Coronavirus in Italy, but I didn’t pay much attention. No one in our little group of a few Brits and another American brought it up. It was 100% off our radar as we were taken around to a few wineries and a lunch in a busy osteria.
Venice to Amsterdam
The next morning, walking to our airport shuttle boat, the massive newspaper headlines were posted in front of the same shop. The whole page was filled with one sentence including the words 4 Veneziani and Coronavirus. I didn’t mention it to my daughter until we were out of Italy. I was secretly relieved when our flight finally took off. No one took our temperature or asked any questions leaving Italy or when we arrived in Amsterdam. In Amsterdam, we rode trains, trams, taxis and quickly hit a museum before departing the next morning for Seattle. At the gate we were asked whether we’ve been to China in the last two weeks. Having been to Italy was not a concern.
Home from Italy
Arriving in SeaTac airport we were again asked if we’d been to China. I noticed a small room next to passport control marked CDC Quarantine Area.
I read the news that the last few days of Carnival had been cancelled and that towns were on lockdown throughout Northern Italy. We didn’t have any symptoms but I checked the CDC website and online for any restrictions related to recent travelers from Italy. There were none.
I felt a slight pause going back to my busy restaurant job, but this was days before Seattle became the first hub of the virus in the states, so no one was at all concerned. One co-worker joked with me about bringing the virus back from Italy.
Late Friday, four days after we returned, the CDC raised the travel restrictions for Italy and recommended that those returning stay home for 14 days and avoid social settings. I didn’t read this until the following Wednesday as I was getting ready for my 9 am shift. 14 days from leaving Italy would be in 4 days, and I was scheduled to work the next 3.
By this time, Seattle was reeling from the news that we were now the center of this virus in the U.S. Concern was high. Some parents were keeping their kids home and business was slowing a bit in the restaurant. People were encouraged to stock up on basic supplies and as a result stores were wiped clean of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. One article recommended zinc lozenges in the case of feeling unwell and by the time I tried to get some, Amazon and other leading online retailers were completely sold out.
I called my boss as soon as I read new CDC guidelines and got myself on self-quarantine until my 14 days would be up. Never mind that I’d already been to work for several days, not to mention all over Amsterdam’s public transportation, in airports, in stores, etc.
Needless to say, everywhere we went, from airplanes to airports to train stations, to the Louvre, we unknowingly did all the things that help this virus to spread. We breathed, we shook hands, touched all sorts of handles, we were in crowds of people much closer than the now recommended 6 feet apart. We were coughed and sneezed near and did so ourselves. We touched our faces.
The same is true for any of the many thousands of people who flew out of Venice the day we did, and the day before, and the day after.
This chronology of our travel in the early days of the Coronavirus demonstrates one thing: This virus has been several steps ahead of us humans the whole time. As we try to catch up, are we doing our best? Maybe, but it’s not much.