Unraveling the Coronavirus

You really can't turn on any news station these days without being bombarded with information surrounding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). It can be overwhelming, stressful, and upsetting. Some people are stressing how dangerous this virus is, while others are telling you that it's no big deal. The truth is somewhere in the middle. It's dangerous for some people. But it's also not something that every person has to worry about killing them. It is something that we all have to work together to slow the infection rate.

To start out with, this Coronavirus is a respiratory illness. The three primary symptoms are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. This is a new Coronavirus, one that has not previously been seen in humans.

These symptoms can appear anywhere between two to fourteen days after exposure. This is why, if someone has come into contact with a person that has the disease they are quarantined/self-quarantined. This time frame is when the disease can be spread. By being quarantined, one reduces the risk of spreading the disease to others.

It's important that if you do think you're sick to go to the doctor. But, please call ahead of time so that they can be prepared to test you and set it up for you to come into the office.

Limit your time outside of your home. Stay away from other family members, and this includes pets and animals. Unfortunately, it's unknown if this is a virus that can transfer to pets.

Is this disease a death sentence?

Not really. Of course, there are specific groups that have a higher risk of getting seriously ill (Older adults and people with chronic medical conditions). And even then, there are ways to reduce your risk of getting the disease.

The number one easiest way to make sure that you're not going to get into contact with someone with the Coronavirus is to reduce the amount of time that you are out in public. The less contact one has with the public, the less at risk one is.

If you have to go out, don't touch your face and wash your hands. Your eyes, nose, and mouth are the easiest places for the disease to take root in your system. It's something that's difficult for me too, I never realized how often I touch my face until I started to consciously think about it. I try to wash my hands before doing so, or I use a hand sanitize to protect myself.

It's important to remember that this disease is no one's fault. People that have traveled and Asians are not to blame for this disease. As stated previously, you may not even know you're sick until 2-14 days after getting infected. No one is intentionally making other people sick. Please, remember to be kind to each other.

As time goes on, we see more political problems arising with the task of handling Covid-19. Admittedly, Donald Trump is not handling this disease to the best of his ability. There haven't been a lot of plans set down for really anything that has been happening. Specifically thinking of the cruise that there was no plan for even a day before the cruise was set to land on US soil.

There are attempts by the government to figure out how to best help the people in the United States. But, it's really taking one day at a time and trying to go with the flow of this disease. It's certainly good to stay updated, but it's important not to overwhelm yourself with all this information that seems to contradict itself.

Please, stay health, stay in control.