What is the coronavirus?

The World Health Organization issued a global emergency for the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in January, which originated in Wuhan, China, according to an article from Mayo Clinic, a renowned medical research center. As of Feb. 23, there were 82,588 recorded COVID-19 cases and 2,470 deaths from the disease, according to Worldometer, a reference website for global statistics. While China has the most cases and deaths, the U.S. count rose to 230 with a death toll of 12 as of March 5. 

The coronavirus belongs to a large family of viruses that can cause symptoms ranging from a mild cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome and even death, according to Mayo Clinic. Furthermore, coronaviruses can spread between humans and animals. The most recent form of the virus spreading, however, is from person to person. Additionally, pregnant women with the disease can transfer it to their fetus. 

How does the coronavirus spread?

National Public Radio reported the spread of coronavirus occurs most frequently when people spend long periods of time with infected people indoors, such as living with sick family. Any behavior that would allow droplets to transfer into the body can transmit the virus. For example, sneezing, kissing on the cheek or otherwise, touching a contaminated surface like a phone, table or doorknob, handshaking and more can spread the coronavirus.

Who’s the most and least at risk? 

Scientific American, a science journal, said the elderly, men and those with an underlying health condition all have elevated risks of catching the coronavirus. In China, 87% of those who had the disease were 30-79 years old. 8.1% were in their 20s, 1.2% were in their teens and 0.9% were nine or younger. Also, while the death rate is only around 2.3%, those 80 or older had a rate of 14.8%. With the sex imbalance, 58% of the total cases were men, and men have a 2.8% death rate whereas a females have only a 1.7% chance. Finally, the coronavirus is known to worsen pre-existing health conditions, increasing the chance for severe illness of those already sick.  

What’s the difference between the coronavirus and the flu? 

The risk of catching the flu in the U.S. is greater than contracting COVID-19, according to Yale New Haven Health. While scientists are still learning about COVID-19 treatments and implications, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate the flu has caused between 32 million and 42 million illnesses in the U.S. from Oct. 1, 2019 to Feb. 22, 2020.[vc_text_separator title=”Student thoughts on COVID-19″ color=”custom” style=”double” border_width=”5″ accent_color=”#000000″ css=”.vc_custom_1583512263053{border-radius: 3px !important;}”][penci_text_block block_title_align=”style-title-left”]How much do you know about the COVID-19 outbreak?

“Not much.”

What do you think the effects of this virus could be on the community of Columbia if there were to be a case here?

“It could probably cause a lot of chaos since we don’t know much about it, and people don’t want to get infected.”

How do you think Columbia Public Schools (CPS) or RBHS should respond if there is a COVID-19 case or outbreak in Columbia?

“Maybe close down school for a little bit until we know it’s safe to be around people.”

How have your friends or family reacted to this outbreak?

“They really haven’t done much; they’ve just been staying alert, trying to stay up-to-date with what’s going on.”[/penci_text_block][penci_text_block block_title_align=”style-title-left”]How much do you know about the COVID-19 outbreak?

“It started in China, and it spread. Now it’s a pandemic. It’s, like, a respiratory disease, so it makes it hard to breathe, but the fatality rate is very low. That’s pretty much it.”

How do you think CPS or RBHS should respond if there is a COVID-19 case or outbreak in Columbia?

“Canceling school would be pretty good. I don’t think that ever would happen though since there’s like — I think there’s like 13 cases in the United States, and they’re all in big cities.”

How have your friends or family reacted to this outbreak?

“They’re very worried, but I don’t think it’s a big deal, in my opinion.”

Why not?

“It’s not even deadly. Like, only old people and people with weak immune systems will die from it, I think.”[/penci_text_block][penci_text_block block_title_align=”style-title-left”]How much do you know about the COVID-19 outbreak?

“I know it’s spreading really fast, and it’s, like, killing the weak, but I don’t think it’s a major issue in the U.S., but it’s still a global issue overall, I think. But I don’t think it’s that serious.”

How do you think CPS or RBHS should respond if there is a COVID-19 case or outbreak in Columbia?

“I think the go-to for most foreign countries right now is just, like, have online classes. I think if it ever breaks out in our school or if someone has it, we should just do, like, shift to online class and teach there for a little bit.”

How have your friends or family reacted to this outbreak?

“They think it’s — Like, they’re scared of it and stuff, but I don’t think anything major’s gonna happen.”[/penci_text_block][penci_text_block block_title_align=”style-title-left”]How much do you know about the COVID-19 outbreak?

“I know it’s a widespread virus that originated from China. It’s spreading really quickly to other parts of the world. We haven’t found a cure or treatment yet. Trump has asked — The White House, actually, has asked for $2.5 billion to [research] a cure for it. Our vice president has been assigned to, like, has been in charge of it to find a treatment and stuff. And that’s basically about it.”

How do you think CPS or RBHS should respond if there is a COVID-19 case or outbreak in Columbia?

“Definitely quarantine the person involved. Maybe quarantine parts of the school or people who are in contact with the person who was involved or who got diagnosed with it. I’m not really sure what we could — like, we could probably provide funding, but I’m not sure to what stance or how much that would help us, but we definitely could probably fund something at Columbia.”

How have your friends or family reacted to this outbreak?

“I know a lot of people are concerned [or] were, like, surprised at the hype of it because more people have died from the flu this year than the Coronavirus. So I think people were concerned about the — there was also a news article about people being quarantined in St. Louis regarding it, so there was, like, a — people were surprised about that. That’s about it.”[/penci_text_block][penci_text_block block_title_align=”style-title-left”]How much do you know about the COVID-19 outbreak?

“Literally nothing.”

How do you think CPS or RBHS should respond if there is a COVID-19 case or outbreak in Columbia?

“I don’t know. I think that they should keep everybody separated. Like, keep the disease from spreading, but, like, also treat people with kind[ness] and dignity and stuff.”

How have your friends or family reacted to this outbreak?

“A lot of my friends think that it’s a joke. A lot of people like to joke about it, and people have made memes and stuff. Like, it’s all over online and stuff, so people are making fun of it, but it’s not really funny.”

What are your thoughts on what’s happening and anything that you know about it?

“I don’t really know a whole lot about it. I just know that there’s a lot of people that are getting sick and dying, and people are finding it funny, but it’s not. It’s kind of like with the Ebola outbreak when people were making fun of people that were getting sick and stuff like that.”[/penci_text_block][penci_text_block block_title_align=”style-title-left”]How much do you know about the COVID-19 outbreak?

“I just know that it’s an outbreak. I mean, I haven’t been following it too closely, origins and all that.”

How do you think CPS or RBHS should respond if there is a COVID-19 case or outbreak in Columbia?

“If there’s a case in Columbia, I think that there should be measures to definitely, obviously try to keep it out of the school because it obviously has appeared to be deadly in the past.”

How have your friends or family reacted to this outbreak?

“I haven’t seen any real reactions that actually had action behind them, mostly just talk.”

What do you think the effects of this virus could be on the community of Columbia if there were to be a case here?

“I think it would definitely spark some more concern about disease outbreaks in general in the community, which I think might be a generally positive thing, but it would come from a bad case, obviously.”[/penci_text_block][penci_text_block block_title_align=”style-title-left”]How much do you know about the COVID-19 outbreak?

“I know it’s, I think originated in China, and it’s just this bad disease that’s going around. And it’s, like, becoming an epidemic and killing a lot of people.”

How do you think CPS or RBHS should respond if there is a COVID-19 case or outbreak in Columbia?

“I think they might have to shut down schools for the safety of kids and teachers. And also, like, take precautions like get us to wash our hands more and, like, be careful what we touch.”

How have your friends or family reacted to this outbreak?

“I’ve heard my friends say stuff like, ‘You can get it if you go on a cruise or something’ because you’re going to a different country, or something like that.”[/penci_text_block][penci_text_block block_title_align=”style-title-left”]How much do you know about the COVID-19 outbreak?

“All I’ve heard about so far is the ship that was stationed in Japan and was quarantined, and other than that the cases in China, and then that’s all I’ve known thus far.”

How do you think CPS or RBHS should respond if there is a COVID-19 case or outbreak in Columbia?

“If there’s a case in Columbia, then we’re probably gonna have to find a way to just, like, keep it from spreading to other students, and the only way to do that is to, like, close it down, I guess. That’s the only thing I can, like, rationally come up with.”

How have your friends or family reacted to this outbreak?

“In terms of family, my mom apparently views it as not a big deal, which is weird to me. But friends, I mean, they haven’t talked about it that much other than jokes.”[/penci_text_block][penci_text_block block_title_align=”style-title-left” custom_markup_1=””]Featured video of coronavirus under a microscope used with permission from Envato Elements.

How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected your life? Let us know in the comments below.[/penci_text_block][penci_authors_box_2 style_block_title=”style-title-11″ columns=”columns-2″ post_desc_length=”20″ number=”2″ order_by=”user_registered” include=”5,26″ block_id=”penci_authors_box_2-1583512086766″]