Coronavirus fear overblown?

-This article is in the newspaper this week. Make sure to pick up the paper next week. We are talking to some of the Jackson County students that lost out because of the cancelling of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

By John Meng

General Manager

  It is impossible to walk by a television or an office water cooler or to visit a social media site without hearing the latest ‘breaking news’ about the coronavirus.

    In response to the intense media coverage, shoppers have stripped stores bare as if preparing for a natural disaster and have caused a worldwide shortage of protective face masks.

    Some medical professionals are now warning that the public’s fear and the media frenzy over the virus is overblown.

         At the time of this printing, the coronavirus death toll in the United States has totaled 16 people, six of which lived in the same nursing home in Washington State.

         In comparison, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 4.6 million flu cases have been diagnosed so far this year – up from 2.6 million in early December. These flu cases have resulted in roughly 39,000 hospitalizations and 2,100 deaths from flu.

    "This (coronavirus) is a concerning outbreak," said Dr. Syra Madad,  senior director of the special pathogens program for the New York City Health and Hospitals corporation, which operates public hospitals and clinics.

    "It's also very important to put things in context,” she said. “There are a number of other infectious diseases out there that are obviously more fatal and even more common [than coronavirus].

    “Right now in the northern hemisphere, it’s still peak flu season time,” adds Madad. “There’s already been 32 million Americans, at the minimum, that have been infected with seasonal flu over a period of just a few months.”

    Dr. David Drew Pinsky, commonly known as Dr. Drew, is an American internist, addiction medicine specialist, and media personality who surprised many in the media recently when he said that the news media needs to quit discussing medical problems in such an over-hyped way. The press is "overreacting" to a minor illness.

    Nevertheless, the coronavirus still needs to be taken seriously.

    Dr. Cesar Maldonado, chief medical officer for the Jackson County Hospital District, explained that the coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19, is a novel type of coronavirus disease that is caused by the virus, SARS-COV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-19) which originated in Wuhan, China in December 2019.

    The animal source of SARS-CoV-2 has yet to be identified, but researchers are suspecting that it originated from bats and/or pangolins, small, scaly anteaters indigenous to Asia.       Humans have been exposed to other coronavirus strain before (SARS, MERS, common cold), but this is the first time that people have been exposed to this particular coronavirus.

    COVID-19 is primarily spread through respiratory droplets. Which means, whenever a person with COVID-19 sneeze or cough, they put out water droplets.  if someone is in close contact, they can potentially inhale the water droplet with that virus and infect the respiratory tract.

      Dr. Maldonado explained that when a person sneezes or coughs, these droplets can  contaminate surfaces. It is not 100 percent known how long this virus actually lives on surfaces, but if someone comes along and touches that surface and then touches their eyes, nose and/or mouth, they can contaminate themselves.

        “That’s why washing your hands is essential in preventing the spread or being infected with this coronavirus,” says Dr. Maldonado.

    Dr. Maldonado said there is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

    “The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases.”

    Here are some of the everyday habits that can prevent the spread of coronavirus and other viruses:

    • Avoid close contact with people who are sick

.     • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

    • Stay home when your 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 percent alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water.

    The coronavirus is out there and it may dominate the media’s sensationalized headines for some time, but it seems physicians are still prescribing that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.