Note: All numbers and scenarios reflect the time of writing (before the closure of MBHS) and may not be accurate.
The Coronavirus is quickly breaking records for fastest spreading disease, as well as records for death toll and vaccine research speed. Worldometers live infected and death count shows that there have been 140,076 confirmed cases and 5,123 deaths resulting from the virus. Each day, 50 to 200 more cases are recorded. With these alarming numbers, you can understand the panic that is occuring. Most of the cities in China, as well as other neighboring countries, have been in a complete lockdown since the virus first occurred and more cities are following this trend everyday. Grocery stores as far as the UK and Italy have been left empty or with extremely low stock, resulting from citizens stocking up on food and resources, preparing for the virus to take over their city.
Although there may not be many cases yet, the Coronavirus has reached the United States. According to the CDC, the virus first started spreading with person-to-person contact from returned travelers from Wuhan, where the Coronavirus first started. Currently, California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin, New York, Oregon, and Washington all have reported cases. The Washington Post states that 53 cases of the Coronavirus have been confirmed in California and based off how incredibly quickly the virus spread in China, we can expect many more cases to appear and more states to become infected.
According to the Los Angeles Times, almost 300 million student’s schools have been closed due to the Coronavirus, disrupting their education. This includes schools is the United States, for instance, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, and San Jose state. If the virus progresses like it did in China, among these schools would be our own Morro Bay High School. On March 12, an email sent out to all MBHS students and parents explained that almost all sports events, prom, orientation, performing arts, and many other school related events have been cancelled or at least postponed until further notice.
Health professionals and other scientists and doctors are working hard to find a vaccine and cure. World Health Organization says all that we can do to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus and keep us and our community safe is to follow health precautions. These precautions include: wash your hands throughout the day as well as before every meal, be cautious of other people’s coughing and sneezing and your own, and don’t travel to especially far places, try to stay put in your hometown and home. Finally, if you experience any symptoms, even if your not sure they are Coronavirus, seek medical help early instead of letting the disease progress and potentially become more dangerous to you and others. Be mindful of these precautions and reports but don’t panic, health professionals are working hard to find a cure and authorities are doing their best to keep us safe and minimize the spread of the virus.
