What is coronavirus
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China.
The name comes from the Latin word corona, for crown, and the ancient Greek korōnè, meaning garland or wreath, because of the spiky fringe encircling these viruses. Most coronaviruses infect animals, such as bats, cats, and birds. Only seven, including Covid-19, SARS, and MERS, are known to infect humans.
Lauren Sauer, M.S., the director of operations with the Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response and director of research with the Johns Hopkins Biocontainment Unit, shares information about COVID-19 and what you need to know.
[su_box title=”What you need to know today!”] Under Governor John Carney’s 13th modification to the State of Emergency declaration, Delawareans are required to wear a face covering in public if social distancing cannot be maintained. Children 2 and younger MUST not wear a face covering because of the suffocation danger. Face coverings are not required for children ages 3-12. [/su_box]
COVID-19 can be passed from person to person through droplets from coughs and sneezes. COVID-19 has been detected in people all over the world, and is considered a pandemic. The spread of this new coronavirus is being monitored by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization and health organizations like Johns Hopkins across the globe.
COVID-19 appeared in Wuhan, a city in China, in December 2019. Although health officials are still tracing the exact source of this new coronavirus, early hypotheses thought it may be linked to a seafood market in Wuhan, China. Some people who visited the market developed viral pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus.
A study that came out on Jan. 25, 2020, notes that the individual with the first reported case became ill on Dec. 1, 2019, and had no link to the seafood market. Investigations are ongoing as to how this virus originated and spread.
How is coronavirus affecting the world
There are currently 800,049 confirmed cases and 38,714 deaths from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak as of March 31, 2020, 17:09 GMT.
O
n January 30, the WHO declared the outbreak and a global public health emergency, it was about thirty days later, they declared a pandemic.
In a dramatic and unprecedented response, China, the country with the most Covid-19 cases. implemented extensive quarantine requirements for it’s citizens. The most extensive known in the history of the world. They restricted movements, caused fear and panic which enabled them to get more control over the coronavirus outbreak. We started seeing a decline in cases around March.
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Italy was the next country that got hit with positive cases and adopted quarantine measures that were similar to China. The virus has been spreading thoghtout Italy like wildfire, locking down over 16 million people in the country. Like China, Italy also restricted movements in the entire country.
Quick actions mean quick responses and that’s what Taiwan did. Taiwan being so close to China, began discovering cases in December and sped up their response to the outbreak, implementing measures and educating the public about curbing the disease’s spread. Taiwan has only reported one death from the virus, as of March 11.
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Some governments have so far been able to halt the spread of coronavirus within their borders, seemingly through quick action. In recent weeks, the US government dramatically escalated its response: issuing its highest-level travel advisories, quarantining citizens evacuated from China, and banning foreign nationals who have recently been to China from coming in, as well as travelers from Iran. On March 11, Trump announced a 30-day travel ban from most of Europe to the US (excluding the UK). Governors from all over are enforcing “stay at home” and “shelter in place” orders and implementing other protective restrictions to protect the public and help curb the disease.
The CDC warned, on February 25, there may be a lot more to come; “disruption to everyday life might be severe.” This means Americans can expect more cancellations, quarantines, and social distancing efforts.
The severe measures can be explained by the fact that there’s still a lot we don’t know about this new virus and health officials are taking drastic actions. There’s also no enforceable international law governing outbreak responses, so countries can basically do what they want in response to pandemic threats without getting penalized, even if those actions are proportional or science-based, and the WHO is advising against them.
What you can do to prevent coronavirus
Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak.
Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.
The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol based rub frequently and not touching your face.
The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).
At this time, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments. WHO will continue to provide updated information as soon as clinical findings become available.
How is Coronavirus affecting Delawareans
From a state of emergency to school and non essential business closures, Delaware Governor John Carney is taking a stand to fight back.
COVID-19 appeared in Wuhan, a city in China, in December 2019. Although health officials are still tracing the exact source of this new coronavirus, early hypotheses thought it may be linked to a seafood market in Wuhan, China. Some people who visited the market developed viral pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus. 
A study that came out on Jan. 25, 2020, notes that the individual with the first reported case became ill on Dec. 1, 2019, and had no link to the seafood market. Investigations are ongoing as to how this virus originated and spread.
The outbreak that continues to kill thousands around the world was confirmed to have arrived in Delaware in mid-March after a University of Delaware professor tested positive. Days later, three more people associated with the University of Delaware tested positive. The number of confirmed positive cases in Delaware has increased daily.
Delaware health officials believe that the true number of cases is likely much higher than what has been confirmed and was expecting the rise in cases following the first case. Testing has been limited nationally, including in Delaware, and there are reports of people being refused testing on the state level due to the limited supply of tests. One thing to note is that not all those who contract coronavirus will experience symptoms but could spread it to others.
