It’s a new virus! Brand new!
This is a non-sciency post, based on science by scientists and epidemiologists about the novel (new) coronavirus.
The name of our new virus is: SARs-CoV-2. No one calls it that, it’s so formal. There is a whole family of coronaviruses, and we have known this family since the mid 1960s. Coronaviruses, under a microscope, look as if they have little spikes on top, like small pointy crowns, so they got the name from that, and not from Corona beer. As far as we know they don’t drink. They do make people sick. Some of them don’t cause much fuss, while others do. You may remember MERS and SARS (also coronaviruses). MERS was especially deadly, with a fatality rate of 37%. SARS was 10%.
A friend mentioned politics. I told him it seems like a public health issue rather than political.
COVID-19 is the name of the disease caused by the virus, SARs-CoV-2. Currently, COVID-19 has about a 2% fatality rate. Sounds low, but that works out to 1 in every 50 people dying. That is worrisome.
A fellow dog walker said this whole thing is hard. He can’t attend AA meetings. It’s not that he wants to drink again, but he misses this group ritual.
The reason we know it’s a new virus is because scientists broke down its genetic sequencing code. They broke it down because people who had been in a wholesale seafood market in Wuhan came down with a pneumonia that had no obvious etiology, which raised alarm bells. It is not clear if the virus truly began in this area, but this is where it was first noticed. This new virus was identified on the 7th of January, 2020, and the genetic code was promptly shared with other countries to create global community awareness and protection.
What do I buy in times of panic? Fruit. Lots of fruit. Also a large head of cabbage. Eggs, leafy vegetables, hummus, and hummus making supplies.
Within a few days, Japan and Korea discovered cases. The U.S. noted its first case on January 20th in Washington state. On January 24th, Europe had its first recognized case in France. It really picked up speed and by January 30th, COVID-19 was a full-blown outbreak and declared a “public health emergency of international concern.” In shorthand, this is called a PHEIC. When this sort of announcement is made, it isn’t to panic people, it is a call to action, to increase funds and resources for controlling the outbreak.
The Question arises: what is essential?
China clamped down hard on public gatherings and mingling people to slow down infection rates. It worked. But the virus took off around the globe and by March 11th, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic.
Overheard small child to dad while they pass on bikes, “are we near or far other people?” Near, said dad.
This Johns Hopkins link will show you all the red blobs all over the globe.
How infectious is it? The thing is, it’s new. So, we don’t have as much collective immunity. On average, each case can produce 2-3 other cases. It is similar to the infection levels of seasonal flu, SARS, and Ebola. With care, it can be avoided. Don’t panic. It could be a lot worse.
Today I bought art supplies, wine, and cat food.
Panic looks like:
- Buying a ton of food and household supplies.
- Buying large quantities of medical supplies, like masks.
- Targeting and attaching blame, in this case, racism against Asian people.
What is called for now is community engagement in our response, to partner and take ownership with the larger efforts to protect all of us during this outbreak. Follow all the advice and recommendations given.
3/23 Oregon lockdown starts. My last purchase for a while? A bale of straw and a 40 lb. sack of black oil sunflower seeds.
Who are we without our scheduled events?
Thanks to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for the great class.