How the New Strain of Virus is Looking like a Pandemic.
The latest update on China’s 2nd deadliest virus outbreak so far and how they are containing it.
Column // February 18, 2020
© Caitlin R. Tylka
According to the New York Times, 20,500 people in Asia have been sickened by the deadly outbreak of the Wuhan virus or aka (coronavirus). As of Monday Feb 3, it has been confirmed that 427 people have died from China’s mainland virus. The World Health organization has officially declared a state of emergency following the outbreak.
Scientists have believed that the virus is transmitted from prison to person. China officials as of January 23 at 10 am, have quarantined all of Wuhan, China’s transportation in and out. The actions following the closing of cities have included canceling of planes, trains leaving the city, and suspending buses, subways and ferries within.
This has been an effort to secure the spreading of the sickness within central China. Deaths have spread to more than 23 countries and cases are spilling into the US with already 11 cases and counting. The outbreak has believed to be blamed on the seafood and poultry market in central China that holds 11 million people. The Chinese authorities have taken extreme measures in an effort to restrict the spreading of the virus. By closing off at least 12 other cities in Hubei Province, Huanggang, holding seven million people, and Ezhou, a city holding about one million.
The outbreak is being referred too as a pandemic in the world of health. The full definition of a pandemic is an epidemic of a disease that has spread across a large area of a certain region (country or world). Which Wuhan seems to be described exactly as so. The tension of fear is growing high with every day the sickness spreads across more land and victims. Coronavirus was first noticed by a doctor named Li Wenliang who had just died on Feb 7 from contracting the disease.
Dr. Li tried to warn many people about the grow of the contagious epidemic. But was silenced by the government and the police for doing so. After speculation of Dr. Li’s death began spreading all throughout the internet, the Communist Party’s propaganda machine went into a full fledge operation to control the message. But it didn’t seem as effective as it had in the past.
Over 300 Americans were released this past week as well from two chartered flights holding passengers who were put into 14-day quarantine in the United States for screenings for the virus. The Princess Diamond Cruise ship was quarantined with about 500 people finally was released on Wednesday from being quarantined over a two-week long period. Japan’s health ministry made public on Tuesday, but still much confusion lies about the release. Officials are left with many questions unanswered. As of Tuesday February 18, near 2,000 deaths have been accounted for due to the outbreak.
