Information released by the Center For Disease Control has identified the novel corona virus as the 2019-nCoV strain. Symptoms can include fever, cough, and shortness of breath, which during the cold and flu season, may be easily mistaken for other illnesses. The CDC believes the virus has a variable incubation time ranging from two days to two weeks. This means that a person may be infected and unknowingly spreading the disease to others for an extended period of time. This is a long and dangerous time in the world of viruses which spread quickly.
Most human coronaviruses are transmitted via the respiratory route when droplet nuclei are introduced to the air by an infected person’s coughing and sneezing. It can also be transmitted from direct person to person contact and via fomites. The disease is zoonotic, meaning it is carried by animals and it is rare were they infect humans. The first infection was animal to human but now human to human transmission is rampant. There is also currently no antiviral treatment for the disease.
The New York Times has released updated statistics and information on the situation as it is becoming a global crisis. The coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China but has now spread to nineteen countries outside mainland china and its territories. Countries near the outbreak without any reported cases are also taking precautions to prevent the spread of disease. Many have barred entry from china and shut down its borders including Singapore, Mongolia, and Russia, as The New York Times reports. The United States Sate Department has advised Americans not to travel to China. More than 200 people have died from the virus and increasing with about 9,800 infections confirmed.
Mass media has even made intentional effort to block false content surrounding the virus including false cures or posts that confuse about health resources available. This is extremely beneficial to society because most will believe anything they read or see on the internet and take it as fact. As a society we need to be working together to combat this viral disease and take all of the necessary precautions to prevent its spread.
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