THE WILDCAT ROAR

WHAT EVEN IS THE CORONAVIRUS?

The outbreak of this new disease in China has raised lots of fear and questions Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal alone had fi fteen stories dealing with Coronavirus. Here is a quick rundown of what we know so far: seafood market.” Death is the extreme result of COVID-19 and is very possible since the illness can cause kidney failure, pneumonia, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (according to WHO). As of now, China has reported 2,912 deaths and 80,026 cases. However, other countries after China have also been impacted by the Coronavirus with the outbreak being the worst in South Korea, Italy, and Iran. On a global scale numbers are reaching 90,000 cases of infected individuals. As of now, there is no vaccine for the Coronavirus disease, and it is highly unlikely that one will be ready for the public within REBEKAH SEMS Feature Editor

First of all, the coronavirus is actually “a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERSCoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV),” according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Therefore, this virus is not just one disease but actually a range of diseases that vary in severity. The outbreak of the virus in China is called a novel or new Coronavirus (COVID-19) which is scary because it has never before been found in humans.

The virus presents itself as a respiratory illness but other symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing diffi culties. However, experts have discovered that symptoms may not appear until up to 14 days after having been infected. Obviously, this is alarming since someone can be oblivious to the fact that they are carrying the disease and pass it on to others for up to two weeks before the symptoms are apparent. A 3-D medical animation of the depicting the shape of COVID-19 and its biological elements. Photo by: Wikimedia Commons the year. Therefore, WHO and other health organizations are continuing to stress the importance of washing your hands and avoiding contact with anyone who may be coughing or sneezing.

What is known about the Coronavirus is that it is zoonotic, which means that the disease is transmitted between animals and humans. The new Coronavirus that is spreading throughout China has largely been passed through human interactions. Similar to how the common cold is passed through people being in close contact with each other, the new coronavirus has been transmitted by infected individuals sneezing or coughing and others breathing in the respiratory droplets released by the infected person. According to BBC, the spread of the disease seems to have started at the Huanan Seafood Market in China since many of the fi rst individuals infected worked at that market. In fact, on Dec. 31, 2019, the fi rst cases of the strange new disease were reported, although authorities could not identify the virus. On Jan. 7, however, Chinese offi cials declared they had discovered a new virus, naming it 2019-nCoVo (WHO later offi cially named it COVID-19) and placed it as a member of the coronavirus family. While it was relieving to fi nally identify the virus, China was suddenly struck with deaths. In fact, “On Jan. 11, China announced its fi rst death from the virus, a 61-year-old man who had purchased goods from the In fact, Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) released the best methods for prevention against the disease: “Avoid close contact with people who are sick, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, stay home when you are sick, cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash, clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe, wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.” Westminster is also taking action against the virus in case it ever were to reach school. In fact, Dr. Mosbacker recently sent out an email about how WCA is responding to the outbreak by abiding by CDC’s sanitation rules and staying extra vigilant for any types of sickness. While there is still plenty unknown about COVID-19, the research proves that this disease is dangerous and deadly in severe cases. In order to be safe from the Coronavirus or any illness, be sure to wash your hands and stay home if you aren’t feeling well.