Can a virus be made to carry a passport?

The quarantine here at NCUT ended on Thursday. The American graduate student involved attends Southern Polytechnic State University, not Central Michigan State as previously stated. Her name is Nicole. She is participating in a 2 week study program on China. Nicole likes to travel and has been abroad several times. On Wednesday, she awakened with swolen eyes and congestion. The allergy medicine she had on hand did not work, so she asked to consult a doctor. She had no fever, but when anyone from the US becomes ill people here become panicky.

Nicole was rushed to a hospital and placed in isolation. She was well-treated, though the standards for hospital cleanliness are different in China than the US. She saw a red spider in her room and was not allowed light in the early evening, lest it attract mosquitoes. Translators were provided. Her classmates, who had been all over campus before this, were quarantined. The medical tests were performed quickly, and the period of confinement lasted less than a day. They came back negative, which Nicole was sure they would.

"At first, I was really angry," she said. "I've never been to prison, but now I know what it's like. I just wanted to get back to the US. We would never do things this way. But then I thought: I've had an unusual experience. It makes a great story."

I admire this young woman's attitude. In such situations, I am apt to become suspicious and irritated. Truly, Nicole has the spirit that allows a person to travel the world.