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The CDC has issued a warning that Americans need to be prepared for the scenario that COV-19, colloquially known as “the coronavirus,” could become widespread in the US. The viral respiratory illness, which is a cousin to SARS and MERS, has been spreading rapidly all across the globe. The virus has become so widespread that the World Health Organization has listed it as a global health emergency.
No matter what you may have heard, neither a simple regiment of vitamins nor a stint in nursing school will protect against this virus. During a media briefing on Tuesday, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, head of the CDC, issued a dire warning to Americans.
“It’s not so much a question of if this will happen any more, but rather more a question of exactly when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illness,” the doctor explained.
The virulent epidemic has been spreading in spite of officials’ attempts to contain the illness. Cases in dozens of countries have already been reported, and over 2,000 people have died from complications due to the illness.
The coronavirus currently identified as COV-19 likely originated in the Wuhan province of China. Researchers assume it jumped from animals to humans. Viruses are capable of undergoing rapid changes that allow them to infect living beings of various physiologies. This particular virus tends to affect the respiratory system, usually eliciting flu-like symptoms.
In otherwise healthy adults, the coronavirus is unlikely to cause serious complications. While a patient may fall ill for a few days, the disease is unlikely to kill a healthy person. However, people with compromised immune systems, the elderly and very young people are at risk.
If the virus spreads to the US, it is likely that a number of things will change in the daily lives of Americans while the CDC works to contain the illness. Schools will likely close for periods of time, workers may be asked to work from home, and elective medical procedures will likely be postponed as medical facilities are used to treat COV-19.
This disruption to both school and work would likely lead to a slowdown in economic growth. On Monday, the stock market opened with the Dow down nearly 1,000 points just due to a few hundred cases of COV-19 in Italy and South Korea. One could assume this would be even more dramatic if cases in the US break out.
