COVID-19 has become a worldwide pandemic that has cost the lives of many, leaving health officials questioning the chances of a cure and its ability to rapidly spread like wildfire. The coronavirus first began in Wuhan, China following a Chinese New Year celebration in late December and January. Wuhan went into lockdown and millions of people living in the area worked from home or were self-quarantined for weeks to prevent contraction or spread of the virus. The virus quickly spread and became a worldwide emergency. It has already taken the lives of over 3,000 civilians around the world including in the US, where there have been 11 deaths as of this writing.

Following the coronavirus, all continents across the globe have begun to take action. In the US, the military has said that military labs have been supposedly working on a vaccine and the FDA have had health care workers use a broader variety of respirators. During the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak, US officials have tried their best to control the spread by restricting travel to and from China and other countries. People who are returning from China may be quarantined and those who are not citizens who have recently visited China are not allowed to enter the U.S. Tensions and fears of the coronavirus have escalated and as a result face masks and hand sanitizers have sold out in various locations. My mother took a trip to a couple of CVS locations around as to purchase my brother and I hand sanitizers, only to find that they were sold out.

In Europe, the outbreak first spread to Italy and has now taken a hold of the whole continent. In Italy, as of now, 463 people have died and cities and towns have been put under shutdown. Public places have been closed down and many people in residence have been quarantined. Like the US, travel restraints and constrictions have been put into effect. There has also been virus testing nationwide on the continent and 14,000 people living there have been tested.

In Asia, the highest risk region, drive-through testing stations have been put to the test. Those living there are able to get tested without leaving their vehicles. They have also added technologies that set off an alarm when a patient violates quarantine. Panic buying has also played a large factor in the pandemic. Items including toilet rolls and face masks have sold out in places such as Hong Kong and Japan.

In Iran, there have been more than 23,000 reported cases and 237 deaths thus far. There have been desperate measures taken to ensure that the virus doesn’t spread as quickly. Prisoners have been temporarily freed to prevent the spread of the disease. There has been evacuation orders of their citizens from Iran and public attractions have been closed down. Travel to disease-hit countries has also become restricted. Israel has quarantined citizens who came off from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. They are being monitored and two have tested positive for coronavirus.

In Africa and Latin America, cases have been confirmed in Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia. Thus far, Africa is feeling confident in their capability in handling the situation. Although, there are still fears that the coronavirus could have more devastating effects on the continent of Africa regarding the fact that 42% of Nigerians have access to soap and water near their homes, while 25% do not have any access whatsoever to water. In response to the outbreak, they have begun to monitor border crossings by soldiers.

In Latin America, there have been confirmed cases in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and more. Both continents have begun initiating training sessions for healthcare workers and officials.

With that being said, it has become a necessity to take proper precautions to ensure that COVID-19 does not spread. This means making sure to wash your hands properly after using the bathroom, using hand sanitizer as often as you can, and not touching your face.

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