The first time the coronavirus crossed my mind, I was standing in the Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Jan. 24, on my way to study abroad in Spain for the semester.

A passerby was talking with their friend and uttered the now-infamous word. I remember worry briefly crossing my mind before I assured myself it was nothing to be concerned about. After all, at this point the vast majority of cases were in China, which seemed like a world away. I figured this was a minor viral outbreak that quickly would be resolved.

Emma is a sophomore at Loras College and a 2018 TH Scholastic Journalist Award winner.