Let’s not panic about coronavirus. Be cautious and take preventative action to avoid catching the disease (see below for more information).
In the hardest hit area, Hubei province in China, 65,500 people have been infected. That is about 0.01% of the population. It even lower in other parts of China.
If the same rate hits the US, we would might see 350,000 get sick. Even so, it is likely to be far less than that. Washington State would see about at most 8,000 people get sick. Most of them will get mild symptoms.
With a 2% death rate for the disease, we might see 7,000 deaths in the US if the infection rate is high. In Washington state, given the same infection rate, we might see 140-150 deaths. Those will probably be those who already have weakened systems. By comparison, we saw 34,157 people die from the flu or flu-like illness in the US in the 2018-2019 flu season. *
I’m not saying let’s be complacent, but don’t panic.
Other information from the CDC regarding flu
You may be able to spread flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.
- People with flu are most contagious in the first 3-4 days after their illness begins.
- Some otherwise healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick.
- Some people, especially young children and people with weakened immune systems, might be able to infect others for an even longer time.
The time from when a person is exposed and infected with flu to when symptoms begin is about 2 days, but can range from about 1 to 4 days.
Everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
- If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. After using a tissue, throw it in the trash and wash your hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like flu.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/prevention.htm
*Source: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html
