Is the Novel Coronavirus just A Hype? Or is it THAT Dangerous?
Recent reports on the Wuhan lockdown in China and the rising number of deaths has caused fear worldwide. Especially here in the Philippines, where there are an estimated 2 Million Chinese tourists every year, we can’t help but be worried that this potential pandemic would reach the country.
In response to this outbreak, there have been posts from netizens online. One of such that struck the many is the post from 9gag.com with the headline, “Parents Abandoned Sick Kids at Airport and Flew Away amid Outbreak.” The post accumulated a total of 26k shares and 7k comments. There also have been videos online of the Wuhan’s empty streets. And not to mention, the handful of fake news on Facebook and Twitter which incites more fear to the people.
How Dangerous Is It?
As of January 27 this year, there have been 2820 lab-confirmed cases of the Novel Coronavirus. And among those, 81 died. At present, no vaccine is released yet to counteract the disease. Although, as compared to its sibling viruses, SARS and MERS, which was discovered in 2003 and 2012 consecutively, it is said to be significantly milder. The Novel Virus has a mortality rate of 4%, as compared to the 9-10% of SARS and 30-35% of MERS.
What made it dangerous is that it is more transmissible than other known coronaviruses. It can be transmitted like the common cold, through sneezing, coughing, and having a direct encounter with the infected person. Mostly, people with a weak immune system or with respiratory disease are the ones easily affected. Infected people could then develop pneumonia, with common symptoms like shortness of breath and coughing.
DOH advised that we should not panic and do not let our fear overpower us in facing the virus. Moreover, taking Vitamin C and eating healthy food protects us from obtaining the virus as it boosts our immune system.
What Happened With SARS and MERS
During the time Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV), which infected a greater amount of people in the past decade, no vaccine has been developed to cure these diseases. Though scientists are still studying these viruses, it was effectively controlled through awareness.
People were advised to practice proper hygiene, like washing hands and using masks. People that were infected are quarantined and treated until they were cleared of the disease. In this way, viruses that could potentially be a deadly pandemic were counteracted.
It Is a Group Effort
So to answer the question, is it just hyped or is it dangerous? It is both. People are creating stigma by posting hate posts and fake news grounded on fear. Mentality like swaying away from the Chinese places in the Philippines and Chinese nationals because “they have it” during the peak of the “Wuhan Coronavirus,” is downright immoral.
It is a group effort to educate each other on proper hygiene practices. Coronavirus could be dangerous—that is, if we allow it to be.
Written by: Jel Vinculado of The Lead Realty
Jel Vinculado is a website content and creative writer. She has written numerous articles on real estate, travel, and stories about the ventures of The Lead Realty. Message her at contentmanagement@theleadrealty.com to comment on this article or suggest a write-up.