From China to the United States
photo by anna shvets from pexels.com
On the morning news, your Snapchat story news, and even in class, you hear about the “new” coronavirus. But what is it and how does it spread? Should we be worried? The United States reported the first confirmed instance of person-to-person spread with this virus on January 30, 2020. Also on January 30, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern external icon.”
On January 31, 2020, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the nation’s healthcare community in responding to COVID-19. Also on January 31, President Donald Trump signed a presidential “Proclamation on Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Persons who Pose a Risk of Transmitting 2019 Novel Coronavirusexternal icon,” according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Coronaviruses were first discovered in animals in the 1930s; thirty years later the virus was discovered to be pathogenic in humans (it could infect animals and humans),” Dr. Guy Miller, epidemiologist for the Berrien County Health Department, said.
In simple terms, the coronavirus is basically a family of viruses that infect the respiratory tract and cause symptoms like a runny nose, cough, sore throat, and fever. Although the virus only has a 3% death rate according to the Bureau of Consular Affairs, it worries many because it is not very familiar to many doctors, and there is no vaccine or treatment recommended at this time.
“Here in Berrien County, steps are already in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Ports of entry are being screened and community members presented with a risk of COVID-19 are actively being assessed,” Dr. Miller said.
“Here in Berrien County, steps are already in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community.”
Additionally, most flights to and from China are currently canceled. As of February 17, the death toll in mainland China reached at least 2,867, with at least 83,906 total cases reported according to the country's National Health Commission.
Because of these large numbers, Chinese officials decided to take a large step towards progress and hired 7,000 people to build a hospital in ten days. With armies of trucks and excavators, dug and scraped around the clock to complete the project. Leaders pledged to build the 1,000-bed complex in 10 days and vowed that another new 1,600-bed hospital would be ready by February 5th according to the New York Times.
“In the midst of flu season, many of the ways to stop the spread of flu will likely work against the spread of COVID-19. This means frequent hand washing, avoid contact with ill persons until their symptoms have faded for at least 24 hours and covering of a cough or sneeze,” Dr. Miller said.