ATLANTA — The number of coronavirus infections has surpassed 20,000 in China. There are 11 confirmed cases in the U.S. Many Americans have ties to China and remain worried for those still there.
Lea Durdin is in metro Atlanta with her two sons, but the father of her boys and much of their family, is in Beijing.
Durdin's worried at any moment, one of them, might become infected with the coronavirus.
“I do worry that something like that may happen and that the boys may lose someone or that someone would become sick in our family," she explained.
Haijun Ge, the boys' father, told her emotions continue to rise in China.
Although Beijing has a smaller population of infected citizens, compared to the rest of China, cases of the coronavirus still jumped from 51 to 212 in the past week.
"They’re scared for babies, and children and they have a large population of elderly people," said Durdin.
Because of China’s strict media and internet laws, there’s still a lot of unknown for people living in the hardest-hit areas.
Dr. Diana Adama is a U.S.citizen, living in Wuhan; she told NBC News, she's nervous and frustrated.
"How do I feel about being here and locked in with no information and dwindling supplies? I feel extremely horrible," Adama said.
Both Adama and Durdin say those who don’t have the virus are emotionally drained from what’s happening around them.
Meanwhile, Durdin's sons go to Beijing every summer to reunite with their father. But, if things don’t improve by April, both parents agreed to keep them in Metro Atlanta.