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Should We Be Worried About COVID-19?

Posted byRenard MoreauPosted inAmazing Insight, PeopleTags:, , , ,

Countless people on Planet Earth are in panic mode because they are afraid of contracting COVID-19 (Now, I cannot blame them because we all want to live long and healthy lives).

News pertaining to the dreaded COVID-19 is disseminated regularly via:

  • Television
  • Radio
  • Newspapers
  • Internet 

So, not knowing of its existence is almost impossible.

Out of fear, people purchased large amounts of:

  • Masks
  • Gloves
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Toilet paper
  • Food
  • Bottled water

It is as though people are preparing themselves to stay indoors for an extremely long period.

Is the fear of COVID-19 a justified one?

Or, has it been blown out of proportion?

What Is COVID-19?

To put it simply, COVID-19 (which is really a shortened version of the name coronavirus disease 2019) is an infectious respiratory disease — one that is caused by a novel coronavirus.

Ground zero for this new respiratory disease is Wuhan, Hubei Province, China (Which began in December 2019).

The name COVID-19 was coined by the World Health Organization on Tuesday the 11th of February, 2020.

What Are The Symptoms Of COVID-19?

The symptoms of COVID-19 are:

  • Coughing
  • Fever
  • Tiredness
  • Nasal congestion
  • Diarrhea
  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Sore throat
  • Pain in the muscles or joints
  • Chills

Rachael Rettner’s article, If You Think That You Have The Coronavirus, Here’s What To Do, would be useful to those people who suspect that they have COVID-19.

What Are Some Of The Things That You Can Do To Prevent Getting COVID-19?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by:

  • Covering your cough or your sneeze with a tissue and discarding the tissue afterwards in the bin.
  • Staying at home when you are sick.
  • Not touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
  • Avoiding close contact with people who display the symptoms of COVID-19.
  • Washing your hands with soap and water for no less than twenty seconds.
  • Using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (Preferably one that comprises of at least sixty percent alcohol).
  • Cleaning and disinfecting regularly touched items and surfaces with a household cleaning spray or wipe.

Thankfully, those suggestions are easy to follow.

Which Countries Have Been Affected By COVID-19?

So far, the countries that have been affected by COVID-19 are:

  • Afghanistan
  • Andorra
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Armenia
  • Argentina
  • Aruba
  • Austria
  • Australia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Benin
  • Bhutan
  • Bolivia
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Brazil
  • Brunei
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cabo Verde
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Canada
  • Cayman Islands
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Channel Islands
  • China
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Croatia
  • Cuba
  • Curaçao
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Djibouti
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • El Salvador
  • Eritrea
  • Estonia
  • Ethiopia
  • Eswatini
  • Ethiopia
  • Faeroe Islands
  • Falkland Islands
  • Finland
  • France
  • French Guiana
  • French Polynesia
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Greece
  • Grenada
  • Gibraltar
  • Guam
  • Guatemala
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Holy See
  • Honduras
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Iraq
  • Iran
  • Ireland
  • Isreal
  • Italy
  • Ivory Coast
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Kuwait
  • Laos
  • Latvia
  • Lebanon
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macao
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Mali
  • Malta
  • Martinique
  • Mauritania
  • Mayotte
  • Mexico
  • Monaco
  • Mongolia
  • Montserrat
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Nepal
  • Netherlands
  • New Caledonia
  • New Zealand
  • North Macedonia
  • Nicaragua
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Norway
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Panama
  • Palestine
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Puerto Rico
  • Qatar
  • Réunion
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • Rwanda
  • San Marino
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • Solenia
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • Somalia
  • South Africa
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • St. Barthelemy
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • St. Lucia
  • St. Martin
  • St. Pierre and Miquelon
  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Sudan
  • Suriname
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Syria
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • The British Virgin Islands
  • The Caribbean Netherlands
  • The Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • The Isle of Man
  • The Republic of Fiji
  • The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
  • The U.S. Virgin Islands
  • The United Arab Emirates
  • The United Kingdom
  • The United States of America
  • Timor-Leste
  • Togo
  • Tunisia
  • Turks and Caicos
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vatican City
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Western Sahara
  • Yemen
  • Zimbabwe

From the looks of things, more countries will be added to this long list if COVID-19 continues to spread at this exponential rate.

Some Conspiracy Theorists Believe That COVID-19 Is A Man-Made Virus

On Monday the 2nd of March, 2020, London Loves Business, released an article called, Scientist Says COVID-19 Is Man-Made And Was Released From Wuhan Lab (A lot of people have been wondering if this story is true or is one that was made up for the sole purpose of attracting readers).

The alternative media is also spreading lots of misinformation about COVID-19 (Therefore, it would be unwise for people to believe everything that they read about it from unreliable sources).

I am taking in everything pertaining to COVID-19 with a proverbial grain of salt (And, you should do the same).

The Origins Of COVID-19 Is Somewhat Sketchy

One source says that COVID-19 was transmitted to humans when someone consumed an infected bat, while another source believes that it stemmed from people feasting on the flesh of an ant-eating pangolin.

David Cyranoski shared his interesting theory via his controversial article, Mystery Deepens Over Animal Source Of Coronavirus.

Should human beings be using bats and pangolins as a source of food?

Most of us would have said, “No!”

The good news is that China has made the consumption of wild animals illegal after the COVID-19 outbreak (Ben Westcott and Shawn Deng covered this in their article, China Has Made Eating Wild Animals Illegal After The Coronavirus Outbreak. But Ending The Trade Won’t Be Easy).

COVID-19 Spoiled A Lot Of People’s Travel Plans

Some people squashed their travel plans when they learned about the outbreak of COVID-19.

My aunt cancelled her travel plans when she heard that COVID-19 found its way to the Dominican Republic (Her new plan is to stay at home).

Are you one of those people who are afraid to take a trip to another country because of the COVID-19 outbreak?

Here is an interesting article from Mahita Gajanan; it is entitled, Should You Cancel Travel Plans Amid COVID-19 Concerns? Here Is What To Consider (It discusses the potential risks of travelling overseas during these perilous times).

Communities Could Undergo A Temporary Lockdown If COVID-19 Gets Out Of Hand

If COVID-19 gets out of hand, communities might be locked down temporarily.

For the record, I do not want that sort of thing to happen; but if it does happen I will:

  • Entertain myself by watching Netflix.
  • Read lots of books.
  • Listen to lots of electronic dance music.
  • Test out the Alpha version of Ubuntu Budge 20.04.
  • Watch Linux reviews on YouTube.
  • Get lots of blogging done.
  • Get lots of sleep.

Hey, when you are on a temporary lockdown, you will have to find things to do — things that would prevent you from losing your sanity.

Final Thoughts

The truth is I am not afraid of COVID-19.

And, why is it that I am not afraid of COVID-19?

Because fear is not good for us; it harms us in the following manner:

  • It weakens the immune system.
  • It disrupts one’s wake/sleep cycle.
  • It clouds a person’s ability to think clearly.

Now, that does not mean that I would ignore the threat of COVID-19. I would exercise caution in the form of:

  • Washing my hands.
  • Disinfecting the surfaces; such as tabletops and countertops.
  • Discarding tissues in the bin after I used them to cover up coughs and sneezes.
  • Resisting the urge to touch my eyes, nose and mouth.

Doing the above things are much better than fearing COVID-19.

And, for humanity’s sake, I hope that they discover a vaccine for COVID-19 in a timely manner.

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64 thoughts on “Should We Be Worried About COVID-19?”

  3. I feel people are starting to panic. I understand some things I see on TV are to educate people on how to prevent getting and/or spreading the virus but constant news and stats are causing fear. We should use common sense and go on with our lives. Excellent and unbiased post.

    Liked by 3 people

  4. Every one of the tips listed for preventing the corona virus are exactly the same as the guidelines for flu season in general. If the corona scare makes people do these things more consistently, well and good. But if it causes undue fear (with the health hazards you listed) then we’re going too far. Personally, I don’t take kindly to the media trying to dictate to me when to panic.

    Liked by 3 people

  5. Great post! My daughter’s University summer abroad program may get canceled because of this virus. She worked so hard to get in, such a shame. Was just telling a friend the other day that stressing over this and worrying weakens the immune system. Glad you agree and I’m very very happy that you shared this.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. 😕 I am sorry to learn that your daughter’s Summer program abroad was cancelled due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

      Also, it is a pity that a lot of people are unaware of the fact, that worry weakens the immune system.

      Thank you for your participation!

      Liked by 2 people

  7. I really love how you’ve laid out the facts in an unbiased manner and without the “drama” I’ve found in other articles about this topic. Not panicking is key for any type of crisis. If cities are “shut down”, I think we can also anticipate lots of babies named Cora and Cory in the ensuing months!

    Liked by 3 people

    2. 😯 People are really panicking in your part of the world, Eromonsele.

      Bathing in alcohol is actually taking things too far.

      Also, it is an unjust act to raise the price of hand sanitizer in a crisis period.

      Thank you for bringing those things to my attention.

      Like

  9. For me the most imminent question is: “And now what?”
    The virus is there, and it’s spreading and what can you or I do against it? Nothing. So life and death will go on as usual.

    Liked by 5 people

  10. Social media creates panic situation. The messages are not passed in a correct manner that creates panic situation. We should trust the official websites for information and maintain personal hygiene. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

    Liked by 4 people

    1. 🙂 Sandi, I hope that you do not get sick.

      Also, we all have to take the best course of action to prevent getting sick or handling it the best that we can if we do.

      Thank you for reading and commenting!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You are right, Renard. My husband and I both get the flu shot every year and avoid being around people who are sick and stay home when we get sick. Being retired, we don’t go out a lot, especially in the winter. I hope you don’t get sick, either.

        Liked by 1 person

  12. you sound like a reasonable man; I like your approach to dealing with the virus. We have changed some of our travel plans because of the virus; we had originally planned to go to Cambodia and Vietnam, but we will have to do that, hopefully, another year…

    Liked by 3 people

    1. 🙂 Thank you, Jim.

      Hopefully, the health officials will have COVID-19 under control and that you will be able to travel to Cambodia and Vietnam next year.

      Like

  14. One can’t live in fear of it. If you panic about it, it can raise your heart rate, make your adrenal glands go into overdrive and then you pass out. The best thing to do is stay calm, wash your hands as often, don’t touch your face, cough and sneeze in your sleeve…and stay home if you are not feeling well

    Liked by 3 people

  15. Sadly the strains of the common flu have killed more people than this overblown sensationalized news subject. Had world wide business not relied so heavily on Chinese Imports and Outsourced manufacturing the panic wouldn’t be so far reaching. There are many airborne diseases out there that we can catch and die from and this isn’t the only “coronavirus” that word is a blanket for a type of virus. Depending on if i am on a low my anxiety can push me into that camp of panicked people…as it stands i am pretty stable and have convinced myself that its business as usual, my only minor fear is that the people most susceptible are the sick and elderly which unfortunately are the kind of people my wife cares for as a caregiver.

    Liked by 3 people

  16. Just practise good hygiene and let everything take care of itself and if you feel unwell (then how about trying not to go gallivanting around the world maybe)
    We hadn’t had any confirmed cases in my country yet but already face masks are now in limited supply and even health delivery personnel are now having problems finding them….
    The irony is for the regular person wearing a face mask won’t significantly keep you safe from the virus but washing your hands will.

    Oh and just saw a news article about a suspected corona virus patient escaping from an Isolation Centre at one of the hospitals designated as a corona virus quarantine point.

    It sounds a lot like being put in jail really I wouldn’t blame anyone for running away ha!

    But of course you can imagine the panic and stigma that foreign nationals particularly of oriental origin are being treated
    Recently people ran away from team of visiting cricket players shouting “corona” when they stopped by a supermarket to buy refreshments….

    We need to do better

    ~B

    Liked by 3 people

  17. Unfortunately, today’s situation is mirroring those same elements in contagion movies. However, I cannot judge those who are over-hoarding on food and supplies, as my family has almost always bought a monthly budget of necessities. Can’t say how we would have reacted 20 years ago. Peace.
    Art

    Liked by 3 people

  18. There’s also the point of transmission to the weak, elderly and vulnerable. It looks like it’s going to spread and affect a lot of people, so we should exercise caution.

    Liked by 3 people

  19. Thank you for this informative and beneficial post. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to stock up on. I have lots and lots of soap, and a weak amount of Hand Sanitizer. I need to get more tissue, and food.

    Liked by 3 people

  26. Obviously a lot has happened since you wrote this article, but 2 weeks ago I was willing to travel. I still want to travel as I am not scared of contracting the virus, but of course this is not possible anymore. As I said I am not scared of the virus, but I am highly concerned for the future in terms of job security and getting essential items such as medical assistance, food etc. I my opinion the actions of the governments are more harmful to me than the virus. of course I understand that we need to have certain measures in place to protect people, I completely understand that, but governments seem to have no clue what they are doing and their inability to cope with this pandemic is more harmful to me than the virus.

    Liked by 3 people

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