I visited Seoul, South Korea, for the first time as the country combats the coronavirus outbreak.

There have been 19 confirmed coronavirus cases in South Korea as of Thursday, compared to 11 in the US.

I was struck by the ubiquity of signs about preventing the spread of the virus in Seoul, as well as the dominance of surgical masks.

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SEOUL, South Korea — While traveling to South Korea over the past week, the first question I've gotten from most people who I've talked to back in the US is: "Are you worried about the coronavirus?"

My answer has been no, not really. There have been 19 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in South Korea as of Thursday, compared to 11 in the US. The majority of cases are people who have recently visited China or interacted closely with others who have.

Statistics aside, I have been struck by how clearly and visibly the coronavirus has transformed my trip.

According to friends back in the US, life there has pretty much continued without any serious acknowledgement of the outbreak. More people are wearing surgical masks, sending sales spiking. However, day-to-day, it sounds like the US is pretty much unchanged.

My experience has been completely different. While I haven't been quarantined or dealt with any serious consequences of the outbreak, the South Korean government has made it essentially impossible to avoid the reality of the coronavirus and information on how to prevent its spread. That is a testament to the government's readiness to deal with an outbreak — and has made me wonder how the US would react in a similar position.

Here is what it has been like traveling in South Korea as the country fights to stop the coronavirus from spreading.