The Center for Disease Control states that the novel coronavirus that started spreading in 2019 is a form of a coronavirus. It was first found in Wuhan, China where officials have now diagnosed tens of thousands of cases of the virus, and it is still continuing to spread rapidly. The virus can be spread via person-to-person contact. However, scientists have discovered that the novel coronavirus originally came from bats. As learned in class, viral spikes on the bat virus have now changed their affinity and can now bind to human respiratory tissue, causing humans to get the virus. Specifically, most people who got the respiratory illness in the beginning were linked to a live animal marked in Wuhan, confirming animal-to-person spread and person-to-person spread as some who did not go to the marked it got the virus from those who did.
The CDC also gives more information about its spread, prevention, and symptoms. Coronaviruses are a major type of virus that are found in different types of animals. Only sometimes can this virus spread to humans, though. The person-to-person spread is the most common and can happen when people are in close contact with each other. Respiratory droplets from sneezing and/or coughing can be inhaled, which may cause a person to come down with the virus as well. The major symptoms of the novel virus are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Additionally, the symptoms of this respiratory illness can appear 2 to 14 days after exposure, showing its incubation period can be rather long, causing people to spread the virus without knowing that have contracted it. Although there is no antiviral treatment, there are many simple ways to prevent infection: wash hands frequently, refrain from touching your face, disinfect objects that are frequently used, stay away from those who are sick, and ensure to stay at home if you become sick.
Although I believe the novel coronavirus is a serious virus, I do not think there should be a severe panic. As long as everyone is using proper prevention techniques, especially washing their hands, there is no serious and major threat for us, especially in North Carolina. I believe that the flu is a more serious problem in America right now, as we are in peak flu season and many do not get the vaccine. Additionally, we learned in class that the coronavirus is an enveloped virus, easily killed or inactivated by simply using hand sanitizers. However, I do believe it is concerning that the coronavirus can go through antigenic drift, when the RNA virus mutates and once formed antibodies against the virus no longer work against the new variation of the virus.
Micro Madness 