Photo courtesy of unsplash.com

In December 2019, there was an outbreak in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China of a novel coronavirus, which has since been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be a public health emergency of international concern.

According to WHO, coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause illnesses as mild as the common cold or as life-threatening as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The current coronavirus outbreak is a strain that had not yet been identified in humans. The source of the virus has not been determined, but experts believe that the virus is spreading through person-to-person contact.

As of Feb. 5, the virus had spread to nearly 28,000 people worldwide and killed 560 people, according to CNN. Most cases and all but two of the deaths so far are located in China. Within the United States, only eight cases have been reported, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that the virus has not been spreading within the U.S.

The Wuhan coronavirus symptoms are similar to that of the flu, including a mild to severe respiratory illness with a fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the CDC. It is believed that the symptoms appear between two and 14 days after being exposed to the virus, although there have been reports of the illness being contagious before symptoms appear. There also seems to be a range of severity in the coronavirus cases, according to the CDC.

Current goals of the CDC are to prevent the virus’s spread in the U.S. American nationals are being allowed to return from China, as long as they go through a required 14 days of self-screening, according to the Associated Press (AP). U.S. citizens returning from the Hubei Province are required to stay in quarantine for 14 days to prevent potential spread of the virus. This is the first time since 1963 that the U.S. has ordered a quarantine, according to AP.

Many other countries have followed suit in their response to the outbreak, evacuating their citizens from Hubei, requiring quarantine for 14 days and limiting travel from China. China has responded to the outbreak by placing almost 60 million people in mainland China under lockdown with travel and transport restrictions, particularly within the Hubei Province, to try to prevent the further spread of the virus, according to CNN.

Unfortunately, fears of the coronavirus have lead to an increased wave of anti-Chinese, and in some cases anti-Asian, sentiment around the world, according to AP.

Although WHO has not specifically recommended travel and trade restrictions, many countries, including the U.S., have halted travel from China, and several airlines have cancelled flights to and from China. In addition, companies such as Apple and Google have temporarily closed stores and halted operations in China, according to CNN, leading to concerns about whether the response to the outbreak will have a negative impact on the global economy.

However, the coronavirus is a relatively low threat for citizens of the United States, and unless someone has recently travelled to China or been in contact with someone who has, they are unlikely to contract the virus.

In fact, the flu is a much higher risk for US citizens, with an estimated 15 million cases and 8,200 deaths in the U.S. this season, according to LNP. It is not too late to get vaccinated for the flu, and having some protection against the flu virus is better than having none at all. Getting vaccinated against the flu can also help protect other people within the community who are unable to get the vaccine due to allergies or compromised immune systems. Students can get the flu vaccine from a variety of places, including the Penn State Health Medical Group, Elizabethtown or from stores like CVS or Giant. Another important safeguard against sickness is being sure to wash your hands frequently.