At some point in our lives, we have been sick before, it could be as harmless as a stomach ache or as problematic as the Flu. However, a new disease has surfaced that is alarming a lot of people. And it is called the Corronovirus also known as COVID-19. 

Although not everything is known about this new disease since it has just recently surfaced. What we do know is that the Corronovirus much like the Flu is believed to be mainly spread by human to human contact.

This is caused by the person who is infected to cough or sneeze in the vicinity of another person. And then once the disease is airborne anyone that is nearby can potentially contract it by inhaling the disease into there lungs.

It is also possible to contract the Coronocirus by touching a contaminated surface that has the virus on it and then by touching your face. For instance, biting your nails, rubbing your eyes, or even scratching your nose can potentially get you infected. However, this is not believed to be the main way it spreads.

A big reason why there is such large panic and fear over this newfound virus is how fast it has spread in so little time. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Corronovirus was first discovered in Wuhan City in China. In the time span of over two months, it has rapidly spread to every continent except Antarctica.

Blue Valley teacher Mr.Hare said, “[The risk is] just how fast it’s spreading. I mean, a month ago you heard about a couple of cases and now it’s 80,000 cases.”

To make things more worrisome depending on the conditions the Coronavirus can live on a surface from just two hours to an alarming nine days.

However, Mr.Hare said “[The Coronavirus is] probably overestimated. But I think that’s safer. I think if I worked for the CDC. And I underestimated it and something really bad happened. They’re gonna have my head. I’d rather overestimate it and then it doesn’t pan out. That’s good. But if I underestimated and people don’t take it seriously, all of a sudden we get hit with something really bad.”

Medical supplies are flying off the shelves and being purchased online at a rapid pace. This has lead companies to increase the cost of items such as masks as much as 400%.

There is also the suspicion that this new virus will affect imported items from china, however, research so far from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown that the current transmission rate and method of infection from this disease will not affect most imports.

This disease has also affected the social treatment of certain groups of people such as Chinese and Asian Americans. This has happened due to fear and anxiety over COVID-19. This fear and anxiety have to lead to some social stigma against groups of people who are not responsible for this disease.

Mr.Hare said, “It’s just spreading and people are scared.” However, the social stigma has been proven by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that being Chinese or Asian does not increase your chance of infection.

There is no reason to lose hope though. The virus is being treated as a major threat and is being worked on by every country to keep it from spreading further and quarantining the disease.

Mr.Hare said “The good news about it. It’s got a fairly low mortality rate. So, it’s going to [mainly] affect the people that have lower immunity. Like anybody doing any chemotherapy, their immune systems are suppressed. Usually, elderly people’s immune systems are suppressed. So those are the people that are really going to be at risk.”

To protect yourself, practice now more than ever good hygiene practices such as washing your hands frequently and making sure to get a good night’s sleep. The COVID-19 is under constant watch from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and giving us constant updates on the disease.

Mr.Hare said “I believe in the CDC. I think they have our general best interest in mind. They’re trying to protect the public that’s what they get paid for. And I believe in it.”