Dexter Swetlik
- Feb 21, 2020
- 4 min read

Coronavirus: Should You Be Worried?

Updated: Mar 25, 2020

Novel coronavirus takes the world by surprise.

COVID-19, is the current novel coronavirus that has recently spread throughout the world at a steady rate. Being that it is so new, a vaccine or any form of treatment hasn't been developed yet, which can be a scary thought in and of itself. However, with the media reporting every single thing about this new virus, you have to take a step back and ask yourself if this is truly a dangerous outbreak that you should quarantine yourself from, or, if the media is simply blowing it out of proportion for the sake of views.

What is "Coronavirus"?

As opposed to just one virus, Coronaviruses are actually a large "family" of viruses that have similar effects. These effects can either be short lived and rather harmless, such as the common cold, or they can be more severe, such as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which was another virus in the same family as COVID-19, which is our current earth-shaking outbreak. Infection by a coronavirus can result in a handful of problems, such as: breathing difficulties (shortness of breath or other respiratory symptoms), coughing, and fevers. On the more severe side of this virus, "pneumonia, SARS, kidney failure", and even the possibility of death are apparent.

To help prevent the spread of infection, and to lower your chances of becoming infected by this virus yourself, it is a good idea to wash your hands often, and to cover your mouth whenever you sneeze or cough. It is also a good idea to avoid people who show symptoms of the virus. (Coughing, and sneezing are the most obvious to notice).

Coronaviruses can only be spread between animals and people, meaning that this family of viruses are zootonic. Research shows that there are several forms of coronaviruses that are known to exist in different animals, yet these viruses have not infected humans as of current.

COVID-19

Information and values valid as of 16 February, 2020*

COVID-19 has been assumed to have originated from Wuhan, China. Due to a mass amount of misinformation by the media however, some rumors have been spread that the virus was either bio-engineered in a lab, or that it had spread to others working in the lab due of an accident between a scientist that was handling a bat. These rumors have been promptly shut down by a group of 27 public health officials from different countries, all of which firmly state that there is no correlation between COVID-19 and the lab. In a statement that was written by this group, they condemn the conspiracy theories that are being spread by the media, stating that, "Conspiracy theories do nothing but create fear, rumors, and prejudice that jeopardize our global collaboration in the fight against this virus."

Moving onto the numbers of those who have either been infected, or "killed" by the virus. As of February 16, 2020, roughly 51,857 cases have been reported globally, with nearly all cases happening inside of China (51,174 cases). Outside of China, there are 683 confirmed cases spread out among 25 different countries. Globally, 1,278 fatalities have occurred because of this virus, and numbers seem to be growing steadily. It should also be noted that most of the fatalities that have occurred have happened due to the patient either being very young, very old, or due to the patient having an already poor immune system.

Listed below is a map that shows the distribution of cases involving those who are infected by COVID-19

As you can see, the virus has spread slightly throughout the globe, yet most of the infection is still in China...

Due to the amount of people that have been infected with this new virus, the Chinese government has not only issued screenings at airports, but they have also locked down Wuhan, completely quarantining the city. This means that travel is restricted, whether you are attempting to enter or exit. Along with this, most forms of transportation have been shut down, and screenings at airports in different countries, such as the U.S, have been happening more frequently as well. It has also been advised to avoid traveling to China for any reasons.

What Can You Do?

The million dollar question, what should I do, or moreover, what can I even do? Well, that much is still unclear. If the virus is spreading as fast as it is, the most important thing you can do is to follow the basic safety precautions that were mentioned before, A.K.A, wash your hands, or cover your mouth whenever you sneeze or cough. Another precaution that may be smart is to avoid air travel, or any mass form of out-of-country travel, as that is how this virus has been able to spread so easily as of late. Purchasing medical masks that are commonly used to help prevent the spread of the flu is also a great idea, although because of the spread of COVID-19, these masks are in short supply, and are hard to come across, even on online shopping, (believe me, I have tried). If you have any concerns, it may be best to consult a medical professional, instead of reading online forums, blog posts, or even listening to the news, as mass media has a tendency to blow things out of proportion...