North Fork Woman Voluntarily Self-Quarantines After Italy Trip

GREENPORT, NY — Pat Mundus, a sea captain from Greenport, was on the trip of a lifetime in Italy when the first news of coronavirus sent her travel plans into a tailspin.

Mundus, who was traveling with a friend, arrived in Milan from JFK on Feb. 22, traveled through Milan, Firenze, Bologna and other destinations before flying back to JFK from Rome on March 1.

During that time, the number of coronavirus cases in Italy had begun to escalate, she said.

"When we first arrived, only two or three people were reported to have gotten sick. It grew exponentially," she said. "We had a false sense of security; we convinced each other because we were traveling in a rental car, not in crowds or at bus or train stations —not putting our hands on things in the subway — that we'd be careful. We decided we wouldn't shake hands."

In Italy, people had already begun to adopt the elbow bump, but most young people, she said, blew off coronavirus concerns with laughter, deeming it an "overblown fear of the flu."

In a short time, fears began to simmer, Mundus said. "We have a friend in Italy; we were supposed to go to their place in Torino. He's a chef and we were all going to get together and yuk it up. Then my traveling companion and my friend both said, 'We can't get together.'"

Mundus had been in Milan, and outside Venice, a hot spot for the coronavirus outbreak, and her friend had concerns, she said.

"That's when we realized, 'We have to pay attention here,'" Mundus said. "It really put a kibosh on the trip. Instead of lazing around, going to restaurants in the countryside, we had to change all of our plans, find new places to stay. Halfway through the trip, the number of cases had gone from 3 to 30 and we both said, 'We should probably go home and self-quarantine.' No one talked about it, but I had a gut instinct that it was not smart to stay."

By the time they checked out of their hotel in Bologna and started to drive out of the affected area, "a town was quarantined right behind us," Mundus said. "That's when we became hyper vigilant."

The airline, Mundus said, was able to change the return ticket from Milan to Rome; while the price to leave the rental car in Rome was hefty, it was worth the extra expense, she said.

And her return to the North Fork could not have come soon enough.

Italy went into complete quarantine Tuesday — under the restrictions, which are in place until April 3, residents are not allowed to travel outside areas where they live unless they can prove they are doing so for medical reasons, for work, an emergency or because they are returning home, a NBC News report said. Large gatherings and sports events are banned, schools are closed and restaurants and stores have to close by dusk, the report added.

According to NBC News, as of Tuesday, 463 people had died of the virus and 9,172 were infected in Italy.

The United States, Mundus believes, is about two weeks' behind Italy in terms of the progression of the coronavirus.

Heading home, Mundus got on the plane with about 300 people; she landed at JFK. "I thought for sure we would be asked questions. My passport clearly stated that I flew right out of Rome. And the only thing the U.S. authorities asked was if I'd been to China."

Next, Mundus took a taxi to the bus to the North Fork. On the bus, she wore gloves that she had not worn in Italy, sat way in the back, and didn't touch the railing as she was getting on or off the bus. Once she'd returned to Greenport, she got off the bus, her rolling suitcase brimming with olive oil and wine, and headed directly home — ready to self-quarantine.

Mundus said she doesn't feel she deserves any special credit for making the decision. In the beginning, she, too, thought the coronavirus scare was media hype, thought it was nothing more than a flu that wouldn't have any great impact.

"But we were made aware. When you're surrounded by it, you realize it's something you have to pay attention to," Mundus said.

Arriving home on a Sunday, she got a good night's sleep and then, on Monday, called her doctor. "I wanted to announce that I was here. I thought that was how it was supposed to work, that I should announce that I'd just come from northern Italy. I told her I was healthy as a horse, but asked if I should come in. She said no, there were no tests — the only tests were for those who were symptomatic."

Mundus, when asked, said she had no temperature, no cough, no trouble breathing —and was told the protocol was to self-quarantine for 14 days. "I thought then that my gut instinct had been right on the money," she said.

Next, Mundus called the New York State Department of Health — thinking that she might be a carrier without showing symptoms —but was also told that the 14-day self-quarantine was the correct protocol.

From the start, North Fork neighbors opened their hearts, leaving groceries on the front steps, including bagels from Penelope Rudder's Little Free Pantry and biodynamic greens from Ira Haspel's The Farm.

Mundus, who shares her home with a roommate, immediately informed her of the quarantine, explaining that they needed to stay 6 feet apart, and that her roommate could not touch her coffee cup, her cutlery, or her food.

"At first she thought it was a joke," Mundus said. "But I told her she had to take it seriously."

Mundus used blue carpet tape to delineate what utensils and shelves in the fridge were hers. "I told her, 'If it's blue, it's not for you.'"

In the next few days, her roommate found a new place to stay. "Awareness comes quickly," Mundus said.

Mundus has used antiseptic wipes to wipe down the refrigerator handle, knobs, the door handle, the mailbox.

Throughout her journey from Italy back to the North Fork, Mundus said she experienced the whole range of emotions, from denial, to "maybe we should pay attention," to becoming hyper vigilant. "Everyone I talk to seems to have the immediate human reaction, not to want to deal with it. So they deny it," she said.

Self-isolation is not a hardship — Mundus said she doesn't begin work until next month, she has the resources, and she has a "good network of friends" bringing her food and supplies. "It could become a little addictive. I'm living like a little dormant princess."

The silver lining, she said, is that she can get a lot of writing done and focus on some DIY home maintenance projects.

Mundus, 63, was born in Montauk, where her maritime roots were instilled; her father Frank was a sport fisherman who is believed to have been the inspiration for the character Quint in the movie “Jaws”.

She’s also the owner of East End Charters, LLC, specializing in brokering classic charter yachts. Since college she's raced, crewed, and delivered various yachts around the world.

The self-reliance she learned at sea is serving her well now. As a captain who's spent 35 days on a ship at sea without stopping, she said: "This is a cake walk. And I have wifi here!"

She added: "I'm a cruising sailor. That's my lifestyle. I know how to buy enough groceries to last. I'm happy as a clam. It's all a matter of perspective — this is like the ultimate staycation."

Voluntary quarantine is an option Mundus advocates for those who believe they may have been exposed to coroavirus: "Everyone has the chance to keep this virus from spreading and we all have to do our individual part. Don't hang out in crowds. Keep your hands clean. Be mindful. We live in a society that works because we take care of each other."

How to self-quarantine

According to officials at the Rockland County Department of Health, a self-quarantine includes the following:

• You have to stay away from other people for the entire quarantine period. You cannot go to work, school, religious services or any other public place.
• If you live with other people, you have to stay in a room by yourself.
• If you have to share a bathroom, you must clean the bathroom after you use it every time.
• People should leave food and other items that you need outside your door.
• If you feel sick, call your private physician for further guidance.