Alarm bells sounded more than two weeks ago, when European nations started contacting their citizens.

On March 17, as stringent lockdowns started rippling around the world, the German Embassy warned citizens of flight disruptions on their Facebook page and urged them to contact their airlines. Over the next week and a half, Germany and France organized flights to take out hundreds of people, including citizens of Finland, Austria, Denmark and Belgium.

As Europeans were receiving early warnings to leave, John Arns, 47, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, tried to get information about what the American government was doing. But all he could find on the embassy’s Facebook page was information about proper hand-washing techniques and Women’s History Month.

“I am incredibly disappointed with the embassy’s response,” he said.

Some Americans stuck in Nepal said they were being pointed out and called “corona” when they stepped outside of their hostels. The perception among some South Asians is that foreigners are responsible for importing the virus; Nepal has just six confirmed cases, including one person who has recovered.

“The Nepalis here are afraid of us,” said Stacy Kim, 58, from Santa Cruz, Calif., who was stranded in a remote town near the country’s border with India. “When we try to buy food they are scared we are exposing them to the virus and try to get us to go away.”

Even in Kathmandu, tourists said they were worried about the logistics of something as basic as reaching the airport. The police have threatened people on the streets.