Do we need to fear Coronavirus-19?
by Karin L. Nauber
Do we need to be afraid of Coronavirus-19?
Well, it really depends on who you talk to. It also depends on when you talked to them or last read an update on the virus which appears to change at least daily.
In fact, as of Friday, March 6 (when this article was “completed”, there are now two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota. There have also been more cases found in the United States and more deaths according to news sources.
Also, after seeing a brief reprieve for the stock market, it has dropped even lower and was actually closed for approximately 15 minutes to prevent a crash.
According to The New York Times on Monday, March 9, “580 cases [have been found in the United States]. California, New York, Oregon and Washington State have all declared emergencies.
“Global stocks plunged on Monday, as did oil prices.”
There is a lot of information and a lot of misinformation floating around about COVID-19, better known as Coronavirus-19. It officially is called Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Co=Corona, vi=virus, D=disease, 19=2019).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the virus is now officially called SARS-CoV-2 as of February 11, 2020.
First off let’s dispel one of the more inane bits of information by simply stating you won’t get it from drinking Corona beer.
Seriously. That is one of the pieces of misinformation going around. It leaves ones shaking their head in disbelief.
So what are some of the real ways to contact the virus?
We will get to that in a moment, but first, what is Coronavirus?
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC): A novel coronavirus is a new coronavirus that has not been previously identified. The virus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is not the same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate among humans and cause mild illness, like the common cold.
A diagnosis with coronavirus 229E, NL63, OC43, or HKU1 is also not the same as a COVID-19 diagnosis. Patients with COVID-19 will be evaluated and cared for differently than patients with common coronavirus diagnosis.
There are some very similar symptoms with COVID-19 which are:
• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath . . . . .