We caught the first available flight out of John F. Kennedy International Airport without considering domestic travel conditions or the recent virus spreading from Wuhan, China, to Italy. With no flight restrictions or threats in the United States, we didn’t think twice until we arrived at the airport. Among a flux of passengers, alarm heightened with news of international flight cancellations.
“It’s just the flu,” Stacy says.
Mitchell shakes his head. “No, not the common flu. The papers mention a strain of SARS. Contagious and fatal. Officials are calling it Covid-19.”
Jude pulls a baseball cap from his bag, slaps it on his head, and glances around the airport. “I don’t believe it’s serious. The government would halt travel if so. Besides, it’s affecting China and Europe, not the U.S.”
