BC Couple in South Korea Say Country Is Paralyzed by Fear of New Coronavirus

Workers wearing protective gear arrive to spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea, on Feb. 27, 2020. AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

Courtney McCann was used to giving lectures in her classroom, not receiving them at her local convenience store.

But the sight of her ill-fitting mask turned the tables as she was browsing the near-deserted aisles on a recent visit, sparking fear in the man behind the counter, she recounted from her home in Changwon, South Korea.