Opinion: Should coronavirus worry you?

As the death toll of the coronavirus reaches over 2,000, many people are concerned about this outbreak. So, what is the coronavirus and why is it such a big deal?

The new strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) was first discovered in the city of Wuhan, China. According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses are a large family of viruses found in both animals and humans. Some infect humans and are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). SARS previously broke out in China in the year 2003 and spread to other countries. 

The Novel coronavirus is a new strain that had not been detected in humans until December.

Symptoms of the coronavirus include a runny nose, sore throat, cough and fever.

The virus can be more severe for some people and can lead to pneumonia or breathing difficulties. More rarely it can be fatal, as with other diseases, the most vulnerable to become severely sick are the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions. 

The virus is believed to have come from an animal source. According to WHO, it is likely that an animal source at a market in China is responsible for the first infections. 

Most of the cases of COVID-19 are in China, though, due to Chinese tourists and travel, the disease has spread to some countries across the world, including but not limited to Thailand, France, Australia and the United States, though these infections are in small numbers. 

The state department has warned against any travel to China and that any citizen in China should return to the U.S. 

The cruise ship Diamond Princess was quarantined in Japan as of Feb. 13, with 218 cases of coronavirus aboard the ship with 3,700 passengers and crew. However, passengers who tested negative for the virus were allowed to disembark the ship this week. 

So, should you be worried?

Yes, as with every new disease we should be worried, but to put the coronavirus in perspective, 2,000 people have died over the past three months, but in 2019, 10,000 people died from the flu in the United States alone. 

The 2019-2020 flu season has apparently been one of the worst with an estimated 250,000 people hospitalized for complications with influenza. Compared to the number of people with coronavirus reaching 75,000. 

SARS, another strain of coronavirus, broke out in China in 2003. The death toll was 774, according to the NHS, making COVID-19 deadlier than SARS. 

China is a densely populated country. Because of this, people are going to live closer together and have more contact with each other, which allows disease to spread easier than it would in other countries, which could be one of the reasons for the higher infection rate in mainland China. 

There were 15 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States as of Feb. 19, compared to the several thousand in mainland China. Even in countries close to China the number of cases are relatively small in comparison to the number in China. To date, Malaysia has 22 confirmed cases and South Korea has at least 51 cases. 

A coronavirus vaccine is currently in development. According to The Wall Street Journal, drugmaker Johnson and Johnson is working with the department of Health and Human services to create a vaccine. 

So, in conclusion, as with any other disease, we should be worried about coronavirus. In a time where world travel is the norm, infection can spread easily, and there are still some unknowns about the virus. However, there is still a much greater chance of getting the flu than getting the coronavirus.