Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that affects animals as well as humans. The virus that spread among humans is named COVID-19 and it originated in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei, China. The symptoms are dry coughing and sneezing, fever, tiredness, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat and diarrhea. It spreads from person to person; when someone coughs or sneezes, the respiratory droplets that he/she sprays contain the virus. So if those droplets come in contact with another person, the virus creeps in. Therefore, it is necessary to take precautions like being 1 metre away from a person who’s coughing or sneezing. Other precautions include washing your hands, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth and maintaining hygiene in general. Because even if the virus comes in contact with your body you can kill it before it affects.
It has entered and impacted many parts of the world. The security at airports now has a procedure for checking if people have the virus or not. Quarantine zones are being set up for treatment. Celebrities around the world are catching the disease. Tom Hanks recently tweeted that he and his wife tested positive for coronavirus. The wife of Canada’s Prime Minister also has it. The NBA season is postponed because a few players are sick. In football, matches are being played in empty stadiums and some matches are getting postponed. The WHO recently declared the outbreak a pandemic. In Germany, if not taken the right precautions 60-70% people will get infected by the end of the year. There’s no significant progress in making the cure, therefore all we can do is prevent the infection.
Here are some DOs and DON’Ts to prevent getting infected:-
- Wash your hands with soap frequently as it kills the virus.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth in case you touch any surfaces where the virus is present.
- Maintain 1 metre distance from the infected person.
- Stay updated with the latest of news.
- While coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose.
- Be careful around animals who you suspect to be sick.
- Don’t skip the flu shot.
- Make sure if you eat eggs or meat, they are not undercooked.
- If you have fever, cough, or cold then get yourself diagnosed and stay home until you recover.
- Maintain hygiene at your home and workplace.
The book “End of Days: Predictions and Prophecies about the End of the World” predicted that there will be a pneumonia-like illness that will spread around the world in 2020. Although it is good that we have made so much progress in modern medicine and become interconnected due to social media. Therefore, there has been proper awareness about the outbreak and instead of panicking, people are taking the right precautions and handling the situation calmly. 20-30 years ago things would’ve been different. Panic due to lack of awareness and misinformation might’ve made the situation worse and harder to make amends. Stay aware and informed about the situation to avoid the worst of outcomes and most importantly stay safe.
– Anukul Thete
Sir J.P. High School 