A newly discovered and very contagious virus first found in China has created a high concern for health officials around the world. According to a BBC (BBC.com) article entitled, “Chinese Virus: How Worried Should We Be?” the disease was first brought to people’s attention in December. There have since been over 79,000 recorded cases and more then 2,600 deaths caused by the virus since its discovery. Although most deaths have come from China, the disease has already been found in other countries. Most are fearing the worst from the infectious outbreak.

The infection is said to be a coronavirus. According to BBC, “Coronaviruses are a broad family of viruses, but only six (the new one would make it seven) are known to infect people.” In the past, there have been coronavirus outbreaks in China that have caused respiratory syndromes, killing over 800 people. Coronaviruses are known to have varied results, some as mild as a cold to some as severe as death. The symptoms are more severe in young or older people due to their weaker immunity. “It is so frightening to think about how one small, tiny bacterium can wreak such havoc on a population. I can’t even begin to imagine how many deaths this could cause,” said sophomore Petra Roberts. The new outbreak of the disease has proven more serious than a cold; officials believe that the future death rate is unknown.

In the BBC article titled “Coronaviruses Are a Broad Family of Viruses, but Only Six (the New One Would Make it Seven) Are Known to Infect People,” virologist Jonathan Ball claims that the outbreak has “come from an animal reservoir,” Thus meaning that the virus had spread to humans due to direct contact with animals. “To contract such a strong, prevalent disease from animals must have to be due to unsanitary conditions. How were these people even in such direct contact with said animals? To fully contract bacteria, the victim would have had to ingest the bacteria, secreting itself into the bloodstream,” explained  AP Biology Teacher Charles Vessalico. A human with the illness can infect another human through direct interaction, and contact with secretion and exposure.

Chinese officials have since isolated people with the virus. Travelers must go through screening to help prevent the spread. The CNN article entitled, “Coronavirus Explained: What You Need to Know,” states, “There is no specific treatment. Most of the time, symptoms will go away on their own.” Doctors are recommending medication, consumption of fluids, and hot showers. Vaccines for the virus are being developed, however; there is no effective prevention currently. The chance of becoming sick is reduced by avoiding contaminated people. CNN warns that an infected person should not be in contact with others.

Scientists are furthering research of the virus to discover the origin and create more beneficial preventions. America has since responded by evacuating around 850 people, most of them Americans, out of the epicenter, Wuhan. However, the agency has reported that it has no additional plans to conduct more evacuation flights. Sophomore Asa Freeman expressed his concern about the outbreak: “I believe the government should be taking more steps. If you have the virus, then you should be quarantined. I don’t think infected people should be able to walk around and get others sick. This is how the disease would spread.” Precautions taken by government officials from around the world will help prevent this outbreak from becoming a world-wide epidemic.