*NOTE: This article was written before the state shut down schools due to COVID-19

I think everyone has heard a thing or two about the Coronavirus. After sweeping the media and traveling quickly, myths and facts have intermixed leaving people questioning what is true and what is it made up about the new virus.

As panic spreads, here are a few myths debunked to help separate bogus claims from the facts. 

Myth: There is a vaccine available for the Coronavirus. 

Fact: There is no magical vaccine that will cure this virus available at the moment. Though scientists are working on a treatment, it will take many months or even years for an efficient and safe vaccine for humans. For a vaccine to be produced, it has to be tested many times to make sure that all side effects and results are spotted before allowing it to the public. 

Myth: Wearing a mask will protect you from the Coronavirus. 

Fact: This myth is in fact false for the majority of people, though certain masks used for health care workers can protect them from infected patients. Most people are wearing lightweight disposable masks that aren’t a tight fit, therefore, they still will allow infected substances through to the nose, mouth, and eye areas. Also, by buying and wearing these masks out in public, it limits the stock that some patients and workers actually need. 

Myth: You can get the Coronavirus from packages ordered and shipped from China. 

Fact: This fact is false based on information already known about the virus. Though scientists have more information to discover about the virus, notes from other viruses like this one state that they do not survive on surfaces for very long. So, you would not get sick from a package that has been in transit for many days or even weeks. 

Myth: The Coronavirus is not more dangerous than the flu. 

Fact: Those who are experiencing the virus may only have symptoms similar to the flu. Overall, the disease is a lot more dangerous as shown by the mortality rate so far. According to an estimation, it’s assumed that it is about ten times more deadly. Part of the danger of this new virus is the lack of knowledge we have about it, unlike the flu which we have studied for decades.