Should We Be Scared Of A Virus?
The recent spread of the novel coronavirus has everyone worried about the future with the virus on the loose. This is mostly because the media is taking advantage of this virus to help drive ratings. Everyone is sharing updates on the coronavirus and it is one of the biggest topics on Google search right now. Afterall even a little site like this one is covering information like how to protect yourself from the coronavirus.
Are a lot of people dying from the coronavirus?
AS of the time I am writing this China is unsure of how many cases the country has but is covering around 30,000 confirmed cases and 722 deaths. This can sound scary but one thing you need to know is that many cases are going untested and even unreported in general. The majority of patients are not feeling ill enough to seek help and many of those that do are being turned away from overcrowded hospitals. Without a count of those that have mild symptoms, we will never know the true extent and risk of this virus.
Comparably here in the US the flu has been running rampant. Hospitals are overloaded with flue cases and running low on supplies like masks that are disappearing off shelves as the supply chain from China is effected and people here begin to panic. The flu has caused more illnesses and deaths here in the United States than the coronavirus ahs worldwide and that is really an understatement. Check out information from the CDC on the current flu outbreak.
Comparing the Coronavirus to the flu puts the situation into light. As of right now we really do not have much to fear from the coronavirus but we should be on the alert to protect our overall health and be prepared should the situation change.
What should Americans be doing about the Coronavirus?
There is a lot of talk about the danger of the coronavirus but not a lot of talk about the things we should be doing here in America. Information on how to protect ourselves has been limited to the usual wash your hands and stay home when you are sick, but is there anything you can do now?
The best thing to do now with the coronavirus
You should not fear this virus but you should pay attention to your overall health to give yourself the best chance. Check out these ways to protect yourself from a virus and pay attention to the news so you can have peace of mind knowing your family is safe.
As panic rises preppers are looking for ways to prepare their families for a worst-case scenario. If you are looking to prepare for a large scare virus, I suggest stocking a few weeks of food in your home, buy cleaning supplies to help keep germs under control and deal with other medical conditions that will make you more susceptible to health issues with the coronavirus.
Should I worry about my mail coming from China?
There are a few memes going around making light of the coronavirus and our mail from china. Many people are wondering if they should do anything special to protect themselves from mail that arrives from China.
If this is one of your concerns you can take a sigh of relief. The coronavirus is and enveloped virus that des off fairly easy. This means that after the 2-3 or even more weeks it takes to get your package the virus is long dead before your china mail lands on your doorstep and you have nothing to fear.
Will Lysol or Clorox kill the coronavirus?
There are several memes going around on social media pointing out that coronavirus is listed on the Lysol canister. this is because there are several strains of the coronavirus that we have been fighting long before this new virus emerged. The coronavirus family of viruses are some of the viruses responsible for the common cold.
Lysol and Clorox both have several disinfectant products approved by the EPA for killing new emerging viruses. In general, the EPA says that the coronavirus is an enveloped virus and vary easy to kill with the right disinfectants.
Is there a coronavirus vaccine?
While a vaccine is in the works for the Coronavirus it will take years of testing and development to make a viable safe version that can be used to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. With any luck, this virus will die off or become a normal and relatively mild part of our seasonal viruses long before a vaccine can be finished.