As we all may know, the coronavirus has been a recent outbreak in 2020. There have been over 89,000 confirmed cases in more than fifty countries, 86 of them in the United States and 3 in Illinois. As we watch the news, it seems like almost everyday there is a new confirmed case. In total, there have been 3,044 deaths from this virus, 2 of them in the US, according to a handy online tool that keeps track of the cases which is collating data from a number of sources including the CDC, the WHO and Chinese health professionals and is maintained by Johns Hopkins University. 

There has been a rising question at Hillcrest High School this past week: Should we be nervous about getting directly affected by the virus?

A lot of people say no, we have nothing to worry about while others say that we need to prepare for the pandemic.

Mrs. Griffin, a chemistry teacher who has some good knowledge of the problem, feels as though we need to get ready. She told my AP Chemistry class to have our parents stock up on canned goods and toiletries just in case they put us on lockdown to where we can not leave our homes for a long period of time. She also gave us tips on how to stay healthy and how to stop the spread of germs.

My AP Calculus teacher Mr. Fantozzi feels as though we have barely anything to worry about, “The flu has killed way more people.”

I have talked to some students to get their opinions on the matter. The two questions I posed were, “Are you scared of the coronavirus?” and “Do you think that we should prepare for anything very serious?”

Senior Alexis Allen stated, “I’m kind of concerned about corona only because it is spreading so rapidly, but I do think people are being slightly dramatic about it turning into a serious matter of us having to be quarantined and have to stay home for weeks.”

Senior Alleah Morgan added, “I agree with Alexis. I think it is an issue but, just like Ebola, it came and left. So people are being slightly dramatic about the situation.”

Alauna Rupert said, “No, I am not scared of the coronavirus. I feel like the media is making it a bigger deal than it is. I think we should just all take care of our bodies and we will be ok.”

Personally, I have gotten more on my toes about the virus because there has been a recent case confirmed in the suburban area of Cook County. That is too close to home for me. I do not think we should prepare to the extreme, but we do need to be cautious. 

Although we may not necessarily need to prepare for the coronavirus, we can still prevent the spreading of germs. Public health officials are currently recommending the following preventative actions:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

By doing these things we can lower the likelihood of anything spreading, but if you still feel like you need to stock up and get ready for what is about to come, then by all means go to Aldi and stock up on those canned goods and toiletries like it’s about to be a zombie apocalypse!