In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last few weeks, let us enlighten you. There’s this deadly disease out there called COVID-19, better known as the Coronavirus, that has been spreading at a rapid rate. Due to this, it has been sending the world into a panic, especially the United States.
The disease has affected over 150,000 people in 31 different countries, and many feel it doesn’t seem like it will slow anytime soon. The exact opposite seems to be the case, however. This is causing changes all across the world as the disease continues to attack new victims each day.
On top of this, we still have things like the flu and the common cold also affecting people.
The spread of this disease is causing people to become hysteric, with many beginning to stock up and prepare for the worst. Just take a quick trip to the grocery store to see the issue. Things like toilet paper and paper towels are out of stock in many places, among other items. Due to the mass panic and overbuying by several people, stores are not able to stock their shelves fast enough.
If you hope to get away and forget about reality for a while, it’s nearly impossible. Every place you go it seems like everyone is talking about the Coronavirus.
Also, it’s hard to escape, because traveling just increases your risk of contracting the virus. Due to this, U.S. President Donald Trump has already made 30-day travel bans for The United Kingdom & Ireland, with more also likely.
This tragic reality is a big adjustment for all of us and something no one was prepared for. We’ll all have to learn how to adapt to it. The question is, what really is COVID-19?
What Exactly Is COVID-19?
Although death from COVID-19 is not common, only about 3.4%, it’s more prevalent than in other sicknesses. Even that number is thought to be much less. Also, the mortality rate is much higher in people who are immunocompromised, very young, or the elderly.
One fact that may make Americans a bit fearful is that around 60% of the country has some chronic health issues. Whether it’s obesity, diabetes, or something else, the United States is notorious for being an unhealthy country. This makes American citizens especially susceptible to the disease.
Another danger of COVID-19 is how long it takes symptoms to appear after someone has been affected. It can take up to two weeks for these symptoms to appear. Some have even reported almost no symptoms for up to a month before things got worse for them. This means someone can be infected with the virus for quite a long time before actually knowing it.
Of course, this helps it spread a lot faster as an infected person will most likely have contact with and therefore affect many people. Then you have some that may not have any issues at all, but will still be a “carrier” of the disease and affect others.
Different Strands Of The Coronavirus
For clarity, before moving on with this article, let me explain the different strands of the Coronavirus to eliminate any confusion.
The Coronavirus is just like any other disease in that there are many different strands or versions of it. Diseases are living organisms, just like human beings. This means that also like human beings, diseases change and adapt. The Coronavirus is no different.
The current COVID-19 form is one of the few versions that human beings have actually been affected by. Most of the time, this disease affects animals only. However, it can spread when places like China in their notable “wet market,” put various wild animals up for sale without testing them. Those same animals will then infect others that may also be within the market.
This will, in turn, spread a particular virus around like weed at Woodstock. This is often why China is the most common area viruses come from when it relates to animals. Yet this current version is by no means the only Coronavirus version out there.
There are seven different strains of the Coronavirus, in fact. Those are the 229E, NL63, OC43, HKU1, MERS-CoV, SARS CoV, SARS CoV-2, and SARS CoV-2. Of course, COVID-19 is the strain that most people have been affiliating the word Coronavirus with as of late.
Impacts Of The Coronavirus
It has also affected how people take care of themselves. While it is common knowledge to wash your hands and stay as clean as you can, many people usually take these warnings lightly. Since the spread of COVID-19 however, everyone is taking their health very seriously.
More people are washing their hands, using hand sanitizer, and overall just attempting to being cleaner since COVID-19 has taken the planet by storm.
Due to the caution when going into public, many organizations have decided to take action to do their part in stopping the spreading of the disease.
In the sports world, every sports league has suspended play. The NCAA has also canceled all their major upcoming tournaments while the city of Tampa is likely to suspend WWE’s WrestleMania soon.
This goes beyond just sports, however.
Musicians have been canceling their upcoming performances due to COVID-19. Movie premiers, such as the new Fast and the Furious movie have been postponed. Basically, every large gathering of people, including church and even school in some states have been suspended.
Of course, this virus is dangerous for many. This is why so many are taking caution. One unique thing about COVID-19 is how it’s treated. When a person tests positive for the virus, they are quarantined and blocked off from the world until doctors clear them.
Of the over 150,000 people affected, some have been celebrities. Big-named stars such as actor Tom Hanks & his wife Rita Wilson, NBA basketball players Rudy Gobert & Donovan Mitchell, and Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta among many others.
How Can We Avoid The Spread COVID-19?
Everyone should be taking certain steps to ensure that they aren’t affected by the Coronavirus. Simple steps like maintaining good hygiene, washing your hands, and staying healthy will decrease your risk of being affected.
However, the answer is not that simple.
Because of how much COVID-19 has been spread and how many people are now affected by it, the government has stepped in and taken matters into their own hands.
Many of the cancellations mentioned earlier in the article were encouraged or mandated by the government. They have made it very clear to the public that they are relentlessly working with doctors and disease professionals to stop the spread of Coronavirus. All of these efforts are in the hope of containing the disease and allowing us to get back to our normal lives before it gets too bad.
Several actions have been taken by the United States, including several other nations like Australia, The UK, Japan, Canada, and several more. There is a solid hope that things will be better in a month or two, but for now, we all must deal with the issues COVID-19 has caused us.
