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Writer: Da'Zhane Johnson
Back in December of 2019, a new coronavirus, now named “2019-nCoV,” was detected in
Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. There were thousands of cases that had been reported with similar symptoms of respiratory illnesses. Furthermore, the first cases had a common variable: seafood and live animal markets. It was then suggested that the virus itself could be spread from animal to person contact, which is usually rare. According to the CDC, “[c]oronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats.”
The outbreak risks started to increase once cases were being to spread from person to person
contact. If that wasn’t enough, cases became international, occurring in countries like the United Kingdom, Thailand, and the United States. Now, there are 11, 791 cases recorded according to the National Health Commission in the U.S. Unexpectedly, 2,102 of the cases were recorded Friday, January 31. The increase in numbers is exactly why the public is becoming more alarmed. In total, there have been a total of 259 deaths.
So, what does this mean for you?
The virus isn’t technically spreading faster but can strictly be the timing of case confirmations
and patients finally receiving medical attention. However, the International Health Regulations
Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) declares the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. It’s important to start recognizing any changes in your health, whether they’re minor or major. Additionally, take precautions like getting your flu shot, washing your hands, and disinfecting touched objects and surfaces (especially when in public). Some airlines are even beginning to cancel their direct flights to China. On the flip side, countries are restricting visitors to enter their country if they’ve traveled to China in the last 14 days.
It is hard to say where and when more cases will continue to occur but here is now a resource to help you be at ease in the future. Kevin Basset and Maxime Michel created an interactive app that tracks real-time updates of the virus. This includes the number of people infected, the
recoveries, deaths, and where these people are located by region. Moreover, the information is connected to a John Hopkins database, where official data from the CDC and WHO can be
found. In other words, the app is reliable and accurate. Users can even submit a Google form to submit any information they believe is missing. On the side, the “Charts” tab displays the
information with various visuals and the “Stories” tab.
To check out the app yourself, click here.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html
https://edition.cnn.com/asia/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-02-01-20-intl-hnk/index.html
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