COVID cases nearing 44 million worldwide

Posted October 2020

By Ione Walton

Staff Reporter

The infectious Coronavirus, or COVID-19, that originated in China in 2019, has so far killed almost 1,200.00 people worldwide as of Oct. 22 and has infected almost 42 million.

In Oregon alone there has been 40,443 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Oct. 22. COVID-19 is one of many forms of Coronavirus, but this specific virus has never been previously identified. COVID-19 usually starts as a fever and a cough, and then leads to breathing difficulties and may cause other complications, like pneumonia and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Further symptoms include a loss of taste and a loss of smell. The most common treatment for COVID-19 is oxygen therapy. In less serious cases, patients are quarantined at home. Oxygen therapy is a procedure where an endotracheal tube goes through either the patient’s mouth or nose to provide necessary oxygen to the lungs.

“There are things everyone can do to prepare for this virus and prevent the spread of other viruses like influenza,” said Superintendent Ken Richardson. “That’s because the same things that protect against cold and flu germs also prevent COVID-19.”

The best defense against COVID-19 is to wash your hands a lot, avoid touching your face, and wear a mask in public.

Different countries around the world have different methods of quarantining people infected with COVID-19. Airports in the U.S. are advising people not to travel if they have come in contact with someone that could’ve been infected in the past two weeks, and then to quarantine for two weeks when they land. Schools nationwide have closed their campuses and have transitioned to Comprehensive Distance Learning, or CDL, to avoid spreading the virus, which has brought up more problems. With all the schools closed, many are concerned that kids who don’t have adults at home are not supervised. There’s also the concern for the mental health of students and their inability to access campus facilities, like counseling and food. The district has set up virtual counseling opportunities and is providing food to all families in the district at various pick-up sites. President Trump’s COVID-19 rhetoric has made the virus seem like a small problem that can be easily tolerated or quickly eliminated with a simple vaccine, but creating a vaccine for COVID-19 will take time. It has to be tested to determine if it actually works. Vaccines are being tested right now to see if they are safe and usable. Trump has spread other misleading facts about COVID-19, that it’s getting better and the cases will slow down, when medical professionals say that the world should expect another spike in COVID-19 cases. Before he was himself infected, Trump did not wear a mask or take the necessary precautions to prevent infection, saying that the virus “wasn’t as big of a deal as people are making it out to be.” Then on Oct.1 Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19. On Oct. 2 he notified the public through a Tweet that he and the First Lady were infected. On Oct. 4 he was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to be treated. After his release on Oct. 6, his doctor, Sean Conley, stated that his condition was improving, but he was “not out of the woods yet.” Since his treatment, the President has been seen not wearing a mask around others, including his staff and members of the Secret Service.

“It (COVID-19) could also be looked at as practice for bigger scarier things because it will happen,” said science teacher Eryn Fordney.