CORONAVIRUS!

What felt like a distant fear to Americans not too long ago is now affecting the daily lives of millions of people across the country. The pandemic started in China, where over 80,000 people fell ill with COVID-19. Since the first case in November, the virus has spread all over the world, resulting in 335,000 cases and nearly 15,000 deaths worldwide. China is seeing fewer and fewer cases each day as it seems they have gotten past the worst phase of their outbreak. On the other hand, the United States is still at the beginning of their outbreak, and unfortunately, the worst is yet to come. So far, America has had over 33,000 cases and over 400 deaths. All of these numbers came from this website, and you should check it out to see how that numbers have changed since this blog was posted.

              To prevent as much devastation as possible in the United States, many states are implementing strict orders to keep people at home to slow down transmission of the disease. According to a CNN article, eight states have banned their citizens from leaving their homes for any nonessential activities. Under these orders, grocery stores, pharmacies, and medical centers remain open, and restaurants can still sell food through pick up orders, delivery, and drive thru. In many other states, restaurants are similarly closed for dine in service and non-essential stores are closed. Businesses are asking as many people as possible to work from home, and schools and universities are closed for the foreseeable future. I would be surprised if anyone claimed that this pandemic is not affecting their lives, even if it is something as simple as making it more difficult to find toilet paper!

              As various authorities take drastic measures to prevent transmission, it can be easy to become fearful about the situation. While it is something that needs to be taken seriously, it is important that people do not panic. Stay in your home as much as possible and avoid unnecessary contact with people. Wash your hands frequently and practice some commonsense hygiene. If you do begin to fell unwell, contact your doctor beforehand so that they can keep you isolated from other patients. Also on a more positive note, several manufacturers are beginning to use their factories and resources to produce important medical supplies, such as Rolls-Royce producing ventilators, according to this article .