All it takes is a small sign of illness for me to start worrying. In my math class this morning, the girl in front of me was drinking ginger ale and eating saltines. No confirmation of stomach flu besides her diet, and my mind is already going a million miles a minute. I made a mental note to pick up some PediaLyte in preparation for my demise.
Given my predisposition to overreacting, you can imagine my initial terror when I heard about the new coronavirus. Before reserving my hospital bed, though, I decided to investigate the reality of the threat to Stevens students.
Coronaviruses are a class of common zoonotic microorganisms, meaning that they emerge from animals but can be transmitted to humans. They can pass among different species of animals, from camels to bats, but only rarely make it to people. When a coronavirus is contracted by a human, it can range in severity from a simple cold to a concerning respiratory infection. First identified under a microscope in the 1960s, the class of viruses got their title from their cute crown-like shape.
There have been a few outbreaks of coronavirus strands in the past, most notably Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). SARS emerged in 2003, resulting in 8,096 infected people and 774 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2012, the WHO reported 2,492 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS and 858 associated deaths.
The current outbreak of the coronavirus is of a new strand of the virus called “2019-nCoV” or simply “nCoV.” The WHO traced the start to Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. Since emerging in early January, the CDC estimates that 7,700 people have been infected, with at least 170 killed. It has spread to 15 countries. A team of Chinese scientists successfully sequenced the virus on January 17, and soon the CDC generated a quick laboratory test to diagnose an individual. The assay protocol, which was made public on January 24, uses Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction to detect the virus. This process is still happening exclusively at CDC headquarters, but they will be sharing the tests with other agencies in the coming days.
The symptoms of the novel coronavirus are similar to other respiratory infections: fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Some people with the virus could be unaware of their infection because they present such mild symptoms.
The question remains: if the majority of people who contract the novel coronavirus will only be mildly affected, why is there international concern?
For one, the emergence of any new virus, especially one that spreads from person to person, is a public health concern. It must be treated as a serious problem since people have died from it, and sufficient resources should be placed towards containing the illness. For the Ebola outbreak in 2014, the WHO was criticized for having too slow a response to the emergency that potentially cost many lives. Since global health organizations are the main mover of resources during a crisis, many people hold them solely responsible during an epidemic. Responding to past indiscretions, the WHO declared the coronavirus a global emergency on January 30. China raised its national alert to level three, which is the highest threat level. These actions ensure that there will be a mobilization of action and funds on an international scale.
Stevens Professor Theresa MacPhail, a renowned expert on viral pathography, weighed in on the concern over the epidemic emerging in the United States. “In sum, there is an extremely low threat,” she said last Wednesday. “The denominator of total cases is based on those showing up to clinics. The actual number is probably much higher as most experts think that the illness is mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic in a large number of people.” Although this leads to a higher number of infected individuals, it means that the fatality rate is significantly lower than the sensationalized numbers that are reported. MacPhail said, “[In the United States] this is less deadly than a bad flu year.”
In addition, many in the academic community express concern over xenophobia playing a role in the categorization of a worldwide crisis. As NBC News reported, school classes are canceling their trips to Chinatown in New York City out of fear of the outbreak, even though there have been no confirmed cases anywhere near the New York Metropolitan Area. On the east coast of the U.S., it seems that many concerns are stemming from stereotypes instead of the actual threat of the epidemic. As the President of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, John Yang, said, “People are going for a simplistic and completely misinformed and, frankly, ignorant answer. They are distracting from serious health work that is being done to contain a legitimate health concern.”
On Stevens campus, the community is responding to the novel coronavirus in a number of ways. Stevens has released four official Health Advisories. The most recent has banned all travel to China that is on the school’s behalf. Additionally, they have asked that people who have been in China wait 14 days before returning to the Stevens campus.
Around campus, students have been wearing surgical masks. I talked to one student, April, and asked her why she was wearing the mask. “This time of year, it is customary in China to wear a mask around in the street. We have [the] flu, pneumonia, things like this all around.” She also said that she was concerned that people would be afraid to approach her or collaborate with her if they knew she had just returned from China. “I was nowhere near Wuhan the whole time. But I do not want people to be nervous around me.”
The situation with the novel coronavirus is continually changing as information is updated. Since the outbreak began about one month ago, nearly 70 research papers have been published about this virus, according to Nature. The CDC updates its page daily with recommendations and new information.
As Stevens students, it is unlikely that we will be personally affected by the novel coronavirus. But we can hope that the situation improves immensely for the affected families in Wuhan without reinforcing harmful stereotypes. And we can recognize that pandemics will likely increase in frequency in our lifetimes. As a community, we need to stay committed to our health. As a society, we need to think through the plans in place to deal with global health threats in the future. And washing your hands a few extra times never hurts.
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