The dangers of coronavirus

Wyatt Cornell

THE MIRROR

The coronavirus has been spreading fear around the world over the last 10 weeks. In reality, it may not be as dangerous as one may think.

There are 423 confirmed cases of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, in the United States and 19 deaths. The infection to death rate is less than 4.5 percent.

As of Monday, March 9 at 4:00 p.m. there are one to five reported cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin and the surrounding states, with the exception of Michigan which has none.

Globally there are 109,578 confirmed cases and 3,809 deaths. The infection to death rate is less than 3.5 percent.

Illness due to coronavirus infection is generally mild, especially for children and young adults. Older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions appear to develop serious illnesses more often than others.

Common signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), kidney failure and even death.

To prevent the spread of infection the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs and avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.