by Aleicia Zhu and Angelica Dadda
This was an article originally written in March 2020 but has been published on February 1st, 2021, a year after the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing at the date of publication. Examine this article in retrospect to examine concerns from early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
As reported by WHO, on December 31, 2019, pneumonia cases of an unknown etiology were reported to Wuhan county officials. At the time, the majority of the patients were vendors or patrons of the Wuhan Seafood market. By March 21, 2020, the virus that caused it has spread globally, and it was officially declared to be a pandemic by WHO on March 11th.
By definition, a pandemic, broadly, is the worldwide spread of disease. For COVID-19, this holds true, having confirmed cases in nearly every country. In the United States, every state has had at least one confirmed case.
Beginning in Wuhan, Hubei, a city of over 11 million people (for comparison, New York City’s population is approximately 8.6 million), this novel human coronavirus reportedly spread from the local seafood market. However, the Wuhan Seafood market has also been reputed to sell other commodities, including exotic animals like frogs, snakes, marmots, and bats. Specifically, similarities in COVID-19 to bat coronaviruses produced the conclusion that it likely mutated to infect humans.
Another coronavirus from over a decade ago has similar origins. In 2003, SARS emerged from a wet market in Guangdong, China. The virus spread to over 8000 people worldwide, and it caused 776 deaths. Likewise, MERS was found in the Middle Eastern in 2012, causing 2428 confirmed infections and 838 deaths. However, SARS only had 8 cases in the US, and MERS—only 2 cases.
For COVID-19, on the other hand, 15,219 cases have been reported to the CDC, by March 20th. In the US states, measures are being taken to mitigate the consequences and limit the spread. Nationally, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act was passed on March 18th. The bill offers workers 2 weeks of paid leave if they become ill, are in quarantine, are being tested, or are caring for an ill family member. Additionally, it offers 12 weeks of paid leave for those caring for children whose schools have been closed or if their caretaker is unavailable due to COVID-19. However, there is a major caveat: this only applies to those employed at a company with fewer than 500 employees. Furthermore, small businesses (fewer than 50 employees) can deny leave if it would put them out of business.
Besides the paid leave, the bill also includes provisions for unemployment benefits, medical aid, and food aid, particularly regarding children and the reduced-lunch program. For limiting the spread of the disease, policy can vary across states. By March 21st, California, New York, and Illinois, homes to the largest cities in the US, have declared a lockdown.
In New Jersey, an array of areas have been ordered to close, including schools, universities, concert venues, indoor malls, and nonessentials. Pharmacies, grocery stores, medical supply stores, gas stations, and childcare centers. Restaurants are limited to takeout and delivery. In addition, gatherings of more than 50 people are banned.
For Monmouth County as of March 21st, the number of cases is 92. In addition, this is on top of four deaths from the same family in Freehold. Moreover, three other family members are ill with COVID-19, two of whom are in critical condition.
COVID-19 is one of several coronaviruses, whose ailments can range from the common cold to SARS. The name of this family hails from the crown-like glycoprotein spikes, which allow them to attach to and enter the host cells. Their nucleic material is a strand of RNA. Also, coronaviruses can be killed by UV light, which would be harmful to humans, but still can be used as a disinfecting tool. In addition, COVID-19 and other coronaviruses possess a lipid membrane, making them susceptible to lipid-based solvents. This includes ethanol, which is commonly used in hand sanitizers. However, this also means that COVID-19 is susceptible to soap, which should be used when available. Though the COVID-19 outbreak has caused shortages and price-gouging for hand sanitizers, soap is equally if not more effective.
So, for prevention, it is recommended that people wash their hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds. In BTHS bathrooms, a list of songs has been handily provided to sing while those 20 seconds elapse. Elsewhere, a basic guideline is to sing “Happy Birthday” twice. In addition, the virus can be contracted when it comes into contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth. The virus is believed to transmit through respiratory droplets, so when an infected person coughs or sneezes, the virus can come in contact with new hosts. Moreover, the virus can still survive on surfaces for days after they were released. Thus, it is recommended to practice physical distancing and regular sanitation.
To continue physical distancing (the new term donned after social distancing implied complete isolation, even online), numerous schools, including BTHS, have moved to remote instruction. At BTHS, teachers must utilize online tools to facilitate learning. Some were already used prior to remote instruction, such as Google Classroom. However, other tools have been introduced into classroom use, like Google Hangouts or Google Meet.
In the midst of this, several student events have been canceled, including Teen Arts, Winter Conference, and TSA State Conference. Though TSA has a possibility of being online, its future remains tenuous as of March 21st. To maintain a sense of levity, several pets have been introduced into online meetings, many of whom have been featured in submissions to the SGA. In addition, BTHS is holding TED-talk-style Genius Hour sessions to teach peers skills and passions.
Henceforth, levity but also caution is a vital part of survival during trials and tribulations. While the situation should engender caution, it should never induce panic. The COVID-19 outbreak is a defining moment of this generation, and its full ramifications have yet to be seen. As a whole, BTHS must stand as a community to weather the storm.