The latest: At least 259 people are dead and more than 11,955 cases have been confirmed globally
Global problem: 23 countries have been affected with 8 cases in the USA
Corona virus is scarier and loved by the Media. The FLU is deadlier. In the US we have had 18 MILLION cases of flu, 180,000 hospitalizations, and 10,000 deaths including 68 children. But we are perseverating over the 8 people dealing with the NOVEL corona virus in the US
What the heck is this “attention seeking” virus ?
A coronavirus is a kind of common virus that causes an infection in your nose, sinuses, or upper throat. Most coronaviruses are not dangerous. This type of virus was originally identified in 1960
Some types of coronaviruses are serious:
858 people died from Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) since 2012
774 people died from SARS 2002
Most coronaviruses spread the same way other cold-causing viruses do: through coughing and sneezing, by touching an infected person’s hands or face, or by touching things such as doorknobs that infected people have touched. This virus lasts on surfaces for days (beware of airlines, and public transport)
Symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath
Almost everyone gets a coronavirus infection at least once in their life, most likely as a young child. In the US, coronaviruses are more common in the fall and winter
For the general American public, the immediate health risk from the 2019-nCoV is considered low – CDC
Prevention
- Cover your coughs and sneezes
- Wash hands often especially after using public transport including planes
- Hand sanitizers with > 60% alcohol.
- Avoid traveling to China for now
- Sleep (your immune system powers up at night – have you ever wonder why kids seem to get fevers more at night?)
- Stop eating garbage – soda, Chick-fil-A, fast food, sugar, Gatorade, cereal, etc
- You have all the vitamins you need in real food
- Turn the news off and go outside
