What do Koreans REALLY think about MERS?

In the midst of the MERS crisis, we know what the officials and even the K-pop stars think. But what do Koreans themselves think of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)?

YouTube channel 'BapMokja' took to the streets to answer that very question. Stopping people in Gangnam, Myeong-dong, and Hongdae, they asked people a series of questions:

-Is MERS scary?

-Why/Why not is MERS scary?

-Do you have a mask?

The answers to the first question were divided. Some people expressed that they did find MERS to be "very scary." Others remained more optimistic, expressing that they just didn't find the situation to be very fearful and "didn't even think of MERS at all." One person even said that she was "scared at first" but now "it doesn't seem so scary."

The reasons for their fear or lack thereof were more mixed. Some were fearful of MERS because of its 40% fatality rate and ability to spread easily to close loved ones, such as friends and family members. Others, however, nonchalantly talked about the power of their own hygienic abilities to counter the contraction and spreading of the disease. Some expressed their exasperated opinion of the media, saying that they believe that the threat from MERS seems to have been overhyped and exaggerated. In fact, one man even cited medical advice from a family friend who works in a hospital, saying that "it's hard for healthy people to catch it. It just passes by like the flu... or a regular cold."

Finally, people were asked if they had a mask (surgical face masks are being used as a preventative measure against the spread of MERS). Almost everyone interviewed did have one on them, or were on their way to buy one. However, one man noted the difficulty of obtaining such a mask as "they're always sold out." Most notably, no one wore one for the camera, which was due to a number of reasons. Most people found the masks to be inconvenient, calling them "stuffy and uncomfortable," especially in the summer heat. One girl in Hongdae claimed they didn't find the need for such masks since MERS hasn't spread there yet, explaining why people were still confidently strolling the streets.

What are your thoughts on the MERS outbreak? Do you think these opinions are correct?

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