A real-time look into a community’s coronavirus response.
COVID-19 Tracker
Track cases in real-time, thanks to Johns Hopkins University
How COVID-19 Spreads
Learn how to slow it down in this WaPo animation
COVID-19 Projections
The IHME model used by health officials to forecast the outbreak.
COVID-19 Research
Read the latest COVID-19 research, updated daily by the NIH
On March 11, 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was named a global pandemic by the World Health Organization
Pandemic is a word used to describe a disease that has spread to enough countries that it is considered to be worldwide. Just last week (as of the writing of this post) the World Health Organization (WHO) named the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic. At that time, in the United States, we had just over 1,200 cases. Seven days later, that number jumped 10x to over 12,000 cases. The virus is highly contagious and as the US continues test patients, we can expect the number of identified cases to grow exponentially.
COVID-19 is referred to as a “novel” coronavirus, because it is new to humans. We have never experienced this type of coronavirus before and because of that, we do not have any immunity to it. This is why is spreads so quickly. Coronaviruses in general are quite common and, in fact, often cause of the common cold. This version of coronavirus (know as SARS-CoV-2) causes, in some individuals, a severe acute respiratory syndrome, which can be deadly if not treated medically. This is why COVID-19 is so dangerous. This is why its spread needs to be slowed.
At this time, we cannot stop the spread of COVID-19. But WE CAN SLOW THE SPREAD. That is our objective.
We can achieve this with social distancing and personal hygiene. Social distancing includes staying home, and if you must leave the house, maintaining a safe (6 foot) distance from other individuals. Personal hygiene means, first and foremost, washing your hands. If you are sick, the current recommendation is to self isolate. If you have symptoms of COVID-19 infection – which primarily include fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath – you are asked to self isolate unless you believe you require medical attention. In that case, you should call your doctor to discuss the appropriate plan of action, which may include testing or proceeding to your local hospital.
The reason we want to slow the spread is because some individuals who contract the virus, especially individuals over the age of 65 and those with underlying health conditions like cardiovascular disease, will require immediate medical attention at a local hospital. Because the virus spreads so quickly, local hospitals can quickly become overwhelmed and unable to keep up the demand for rooms, beds, and ventilators. This is the biggest challenge with COVID-19. The demand on our healthcare system. However, by practicing social distancing and personal hygiene, we can help spread out the number of cases that will require medical attention and “flatten the curve.”
Everyone has a role to play in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and protecting the health of our loved ones and our communities.
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
For the most up-to-date information on the coronavirus response, please visit the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 homepage.
