The fear of coronavirus was palpable in Portland, Oregon.

Friends told us that the dim sum place where we took turns nabbing bite-sized wonders was normally twice as full. Famed Taiwanese dumpling restaurant Din Tai Fung didn’t have a wait. Even the Portland Japanese Garden had ample parking on a Sunday.

Much though I dislike crowds, this was thoroughly disheartening. Frankly, my bigger concern was catching a stupid cold from someone coughing near me on the plane. When I admitted as much to our friend Carol, she said that she swears by elderberry syrup to boost resistance.