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I Want To Go Home To The U.S During The Coronavirus Outbreak. But Here's Why I Won't.

As an American living in France, the spread of the coronavirus has presented me with a tough question. Where would I rather be during a global health emergency: in America, with my family, or in France, with my health care benefits? Americans across Europe are facing the same dilemma, and there’s no easy answer.

I’m an “assistante de langue,” a classroom aide who helps teach English in French public schools. We don’t make much money — 785 euros per month, well under minimum wage — but we do get the same social safety net as any French resident. That safety net includes health care.

If I became seriously ill with coronavirus right now, the French government would reimburse 80% of the cost of hospitalization. My 22-euro-a-month supplementary insurance would cover most of the rest. If I took a plane to the United States and was hospitalized for COVID-19, it could cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs not covered by my family’s health insurance. For someone without insurance, it could cost $20,000 or more.

On March 19, the State Department issued the maximum warning against traveling abroad, “strongly urging” Americans to come home as soon as possible unless we “are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period.” There is currently one direct flight from France to the United States per day; railways have cut train service down to just 7% of its normal frequency. If I found a way to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris — an eight hour journey by car — I would need to carry a signed document explaining my situation: a foreigner, trapped in France, trying to get home.

So it’s time to make a decision. Should I stay or should I go?

I miss my mom, my stepdad, my brother and my sisters. I’m worried sick for my father, who is recovering from brain surgery, and my grandparents, who are in their 60s. I miss my country. I miss hearing English conversations; I miss McDonald’s breakfast; I miss the...

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