Viewpoint: How Do You Control the Uncontrollable

It is impossible to be on the planet earth right now and not have some knowledge of the coronavirus. Actually, the official name is Covid-19. The illness at the center of all of this showed up first in Wuhan, China.

Coronaviruses come from animals. Many of those initially infected worked or frequently shopped in the Huanan seafood wholesale market in the center of Wuhan.

Although the animal link seems to be at the beginning of the spread the virus, it can easily spread from person to person through respiratory droplets. There is currently no evidence linking the spread of the virus with food intake.

It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient, refrigerated, or frozen temperatures.

The virus causes coughs, fever, breathing difficulties and can lead to pneumonia. Since it is viral antibiotics are of no use. In fact, one of the things that causes so much fear with this virus is that there is no drug that works at this time. Recovery seems to depend on the strength of the immune system. Like most disease, many who have died were in poor health to begin with.

As of Tuesday, the outbreak has affected more than 89,000 people in over 60 countries. The global death toll has passed the 3,000 mark. Of the 80,151 cases confirmed in China, over 44,000 people have recovered and 2,943 (3.6%) have died. After China, South Korea with nearly 5,000 cases and Iran with over 1,500 cases have been hit the worst.

Since there is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019, the best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, the Center for Disease Control always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Stay home when you are sick.

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.

CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.

Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

It is not yet known whether weather and temperature impact the spread of COVID-19. Some other viruses, like the common cold and flu, spread more during cold weather months but that does not mean it is impossible to become sick with these viruses during other months. At this time, it is not known whether the spread of COVID-19 will decrease when weather becomes warmer.

Although serious, some perspective is still required. As of Tuesday, at 4 p.m., nine people had died of COVID-19 in the United States. Everyday in the United States 7,452 people die of other things.Viewpoint: