The coronavirus has headlined countless news sources as the rapidly spreading disease amasses more and more concern. The very limited understanding of the disease and prevention raises many alarms. Accusations of inaccurate reporting from the outbreak’s center, Wuhan, China, still stand. Every day, new data surfaces on the disease, but the current rundown as of March 1 goes as follows.
The virus, named “SARS-CoV-2,” which causes the disease “coronavirus disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”), first arose December 2019 in Wuhan, China. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.”
Currently, the death toll of over 3,000 people worldwide accompanies more than 88,400 cases worldwide, according to CNN. These numbers surpassed the death toll of the SARS outbreak of 2003-2004, a different strain of coronavirus, that killed 774 people globally. This weekend marked the second death in the United States, recorded in Washington state. The death toll outside mainland China stands at 129; Iran leads with 54 deaths, then Italy with 34, followed by South Korea with 20 and Japan with 12. Hong Kong and France recorded two deaths each, while the Philippines, Taiwan, Australia and Thailand each reported one death. Since February 21, a total of 37 countries have announced their first cases.
Just Sunday night, two people tested positive for Coronavirus in Tampa, Florida. “Because of the foregoing conditions, I direct the State Health Officer and Surgeon General, Dr. Scott Rivkees, to declare a public health emergency in the State of Florida,” Ron DeSantis, Florida governor, said. “The State Health Officer is authorized and directed to use his judgment as to the duration of this public health emergency.”
Due to the tensions at the health facilities in China, determining the complete magnitude of the outbreak presents a difficult task. New data is coming in every day on the disease, with ongoing investigative efforts on details about the outbreak and its prevention. Elizabeth Cohen from CNN mentioned the CDC’s failure to inform the public about the disease. “The federal agency possesses such information about several US coronavirus patients, but has not released it. That means doctors who now unexpectedly find themselves treating new coronavirus patients aren’t able to benefit from the findings of doctors who preceded them,” Cohen said.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization suggests avoiding infection by practicing everyday hygiene tips like washing your hands and covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.
