The Untold Virus Untold?
By Kamille Simmons
On December 31, 2019, the first coronavirus case was reported from Wuhan, China. Doctors started to realize that the first symptoms were somewhat related to pneumonia. The WHO website reports symptoms as “fever, cough, sore throat and headaches. In severe cases difficulty in breathing and deaths can occur.” 1 Some symptoms aren’t so severe as to cause death but could still keep you in critical condition. Seven months into the pandemic, we now all know that symptoms may appear in someone two to fourteen days after being exposed to the virus. Corona viruses can be transmitted through respiratory droplets that spread from one surface to another. There are several ways to stay clean and not cross contaminate surfaces. It is imperative that you put on gloves before you start cleaning and use soap and water before you use any other disinfectant chemicals. It is very important to wipe off “high touch” surfaces, such
as tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, etc. 2 Above all, wearing a mask will decrease the risk of contracting COVID-19. COVID-19 is a very serious illness that you must pay attention to. It's important that you practice social distance, staying six feet away from each other, and wear a face cover. If you think that you have any of the symptoms listed above, you should call the COVID hotline in Baltimore or your doctor. If you experience shortness of breath or pain in your chest, go immediately to a hospital emergency room. For information on how COVID affects different races, check out the COVID Tracking Project’s COVID Racial Data Tracker.
Kamille Simmons is a current 10th grader, attending Concordia Prep School in Baltimore, MD.
1 https://www.who.int/maldives/news/detail/31-01-2020-updates-on-novel-corona-virus-(COVID-19) 2https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html
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I BelongMagazine.com, Autumn 2020. All rights reserved. Published by Unified Efforts, Inc., Baltimore, MD, https://unifiedefforts.org
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