When young journalist Emdadul Hoque Khan came to know that he had tested positive for COVID-19, he got extremely terrified as he had some underlying health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes.

When Carlo Navarro, his wife and 15-year-old daughter visited Japan from the Philippines in February, they knew they were taking a chance with the coronavirus, but thought they would be spared if they took precautions. They wore masks and gloves and always had alcohol handy to sanitize their hands.