By Cathy Shan (’23)

As of March 22st, there have been over 298,000 cases of the extremely contagious coronavirus. People around the globe have been infected and the W.H.O (World Health Organization) has officially declared that the coronavirus is a global pandemic. 

The coronavirus outbreak started in late December of 2019. At that time, only a few cases of coronavirus had appeared in China. However, the virus continued to rapidly spread, infecting people in countries such as Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and many more. Now, cases of coronavirus have been found on every continent except for Antarctica. Level 3 travel warnings (which mean “avoid all non-essential travel”) have been issued in China, South Korea, Iran, and the continent of Europe due to the high number of coronavirus cases in those countries. 

In the United States, there have been over 24,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including 340 deaths, with the disease mainly appearing in all 50 states. Recently, West Virginia announced their first case of coronavirus. Hundreds of people are currently being quarantined on military bases and in several hospitals. Many state governors have issued a self-quarantine and many schools, including colleges and universities, have been closed. 

Many of these U.S. cases have come from the Diamond Princess cruise ship back in early February. On February 4th, 10 people on the Diamond Princess cruise ship were tested positive for coronavirus. Even though the 10 people diagnosed with coronavirus were quarantined, the quarantine failed. A few weeks later, it was reported that 705 people on the cruise ship were diagnosed with the coronavirus. 44 passengers from the cruise ship flew back to the United States, only to be tested positive for the coronavirus. 

Since the coronavirus is in the United States and is extremely contagious, be sure to: 

• Wear a surgical mask at all times, as the virus is an air-borne virus.
•  Regularly wash your hands and use hand sanitizer.
• Wear gloves when possible and appropriate.
• Avoid touching your face. 
• If there are coronavirus cases in your area, staying at home is the best way to prevent getting sick.

A cure for the coronavirus is currently being researched, however, it is not certain when scientists will find a definitive cure. For now, stay safe, stay home, and be careful.