COVID-19 | Plaid Line + PRIZM + Scottie News

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

Image taken from: https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/coronavirus-spurs-a-run-on-face-masks-but-do-they-work/

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.

As we all know, sickness and disease are very common parts of our lives. Everybody knows that eventually they will get sick, most of the time it’s no big deal and all you need to do is ride it out. We know how diseases like the common cold are spread and what we can do to prevent ourselves from getting sick. But even with these precautions, people still get very sick each year.

One virus that has been in the news recently is known as The 2019 Novel Coronavirus or simply just the coronavirus, it is part of the corona family which houses other viruses such as the common cold, or influenza.

In the US, there are 5 states with confirmed cases of the coronavirus. According to the CDC, there have also been 29 countries with confirmed cases of the virus. China has reported 28,000 confirmed cases with more than 560 coronavirus deaths, according to The Washington Post.

There are more viruses that belong in the coronavirus family, such as the common cold, which was mentioned earlier, and the viruses that caused the global outbreaks of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2015, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003.

The best way to avoid getting sick is to avoid anybody who has been diagnosed with the virus, and your wash hands frequently while avoiding any unnecessary trips into crowded areas.