I am a little scared of the Coronavirus (AKA, Covid-19 AKA SARS-CoV-2), as it spreads the world over. I'm also feeling sad for the elderly and those who can't afford to take every single recommended precaution.
What's frustrating is watching the blind panic of ignorance sparking irrational fears that lead to the panic of the blind purchasing of things like masks, hand sanitizers and anything else related to protecting oneself from Covid-19.
While ignorance sparks this crazy selfishness, people at the front lines of this battle, in hospitals and urgent care clinics will suffer the most when they themselves can't arm themselves with the proper gear. Meanwhile, we see people in airports, malls, and coffee shops, perpetuating more irrational fear and suspicion of others.
I keep hoping the people in masks in public are donning them to protect others from themselves, but who am I kidding?
Another concern is also an overwhelmed medical system where folks who truly need the help may not get it in time. And I'm about those who have critical conditions from other medical maladies that we've already become accustomed to like the flu, pneumonia and other things we seem to take for granted.
You see, Covid-19 is nowhere near as fatal (17 in the U.S.) as the flu (36k annually in the U.S.) and yet the fear and panic sets in as the media pushes its coverage of this world event.
No, I'm not blaming the media for anything. They have to cover this to keep the masses informed. They have to do what they do (or lose the chance at these ratings!)
I'm watching huge public venues getting cancelled and entire countries taking precautionary actions as a precaution while other events like the Los Angeles Marathon continues to hold its event almost as if there's nothing to be concerned about.
But how much can you let this biological viral terrorist control your life? We keep seeing reports of so many businesses being impacted by actions we're taking to stop the spread of this thing, while there's a potentially serious threat of a global recession.
Right now, while our peers are out spreading unsubstantiated wives tales and horrors*, and buying medical supplies off every store shelf, both physical and digital, the message seems clear... look out for yourself. When in reality, we should be taking the appropriate measures to help each other.
*(The other day I stood in a line at Walgreen's and pretty much EVERYTHING I overheard was stupid and wrong. And from some highly respected member of this community.)
The thing is, it's coming, and will be everywhere, much like our "cold and flu" season, which is marked more by the 'usual' slew of TV ads for our preferred brand of OTC meds.
When it hits close to home, there's a good chance nothing will come of it, it won't do much harm. Unless we have underlying health issues or over 50 or both.
In the end, what we've learned from Covid-19 and reflecting upon our own personal health hygiene could help reduce the ridiculously high flu fatality rate we see every year.
Yet we need to calm down and get the facts straight before we repeat what we've heard. And that's the problem. Humans spend less time and effort verifying versus blindly reacting and trusting.
We need to learn to find excellent resources and find the facts about things instead of spreading baseless conjecture and speculation. Even if that means weakening the tall tales of advertisers, politicians and digital internet tracking.
I work within the science community and over the years, the amount of knowledge I've been exposed to has smashed lifelong beliefs in many a wives tale that I always FELT were true, yet not once did I ever try to verify the validity of these lifelong beliefs or their validity because of my misguided faith in what I've heard and carried with me thru the years.
Now is the time to let facts, not fear, dictate how you respond to this new wrinkle in our lives. Be prudent, be proactive and think of others if you get sick and wear your mask.
---
Some Facts About The Coronavirus, AKA COVID-19 AKA SARS-CoV-2
What are coronaviruses?
Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that are common in both humans and animals that usually cause mild-to-moderate respiratory illnesses. The source of COVID-19 is suspected to be animals in an open air market and is possibly a previously unrecognized bat coronavirus. It appears to cause a more severe illness progressing to pneumonia.
What are the symptoms of this coronavirus infection?
Patients with confirmed COVID-19 have had mild-to-severe respiratory illness. Symptoms including fever, cough and shortness of breath may appear 2-14 days after exposure.
---
Similarities: COVID-19 and the Flu
- Both cause fever, cough, body aches, fatigue; sometimes vomiting and diarrhea.
- Can be mild or severe, even fatal in rare cases.
- Can result in pneumonia.
---
Transmission
- Both can be spread from person to person through droplets in the air from an infected person coughing, sneezing or talking.
- A possible difference: COVID-19 might be spread through the airborne route (see details below under Differences).
- Flu can be spread by an infected person for several days before their symptoms appear, and COVID-19 is believed to be spread in the same manner
---
Prevention
Both may be prevented by frequent, thorough hand washing, coughing into the crook of your elbow, staying home when sick and limiting contact with people who are infected.
---
Infections (AS OF 3/8/20)
- COVID-19: Approximately 107,644 cases worldwide; 437 cases in the U.S. as of Mar. 8, 2020.
- Flu: Estimated 1 billion cases worldwide; 9.3 million to 45 million cases in the U.S. per year.
---
Deaths
- COVID-19: Approximately 3,653 deaths reported worldwide; 17 deaths in the U.S., as of Mar. 8, 2020.
- Flu: 291,000 to 646,000 deaths worldwide; 12,000 to 61,000 deaths in the U.S. per year.
--- Doing the math..
- COVID-19 Fatalities account for 3.4% of the cases worldwide, 3.9% in the U.S.
- FLU accounts for less than 1% of all cases, but we have to take into account we have flupshots that prevent or potentially minimize effects, while humans have yet to develop any kind of resistance or immunity to COVID-19.
- It's also higher due to events at the Life Care Center nursing home in suburban Seattle, where at least 14 people have died.
---
[ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-disease-2019-vs-the-flu ]
[ https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html ]
[ https://www.ynhhs.org/patient-care/urgent-care/flu-or-coronavirus ]
Comments
Post a Comment