Everything you need to know about Coronavirus

The Coronavirus is now in El Salvador, and it has most of us feeling an assortment of emotions. Maybe you feel scared, overwhelmed, sad, anxious, doubtful, or tired. I think everyone in the world is exploring all of that and more right about now. 

Your brain is probably thinking, “What is going on?” One day I was looking at plane tickets and planning my next trip this year, and the future, I couldn’t even get out of my house without putting my life at risk.

What we previously considered “normal” like going to the mall shopping at your favorite stores, going on a date with a guy you met at the club the week before, spending time with friends, or even going to the gym is no longer part of our routine. 

The new normal is putting everything we knew about the world and how we interact with each other into another perspective.

People are now avoiding human contact, washing hands more frequently, and being paranoid about everything they touch.

Citizens around the world are posting images of themselves and their friends hanging out, working out together, or having a wine night through virtual meetings and Instagram Live. 

People have been filmed fighting in the supermarket over toilet paper and wearing face masks. 

All we do is think and talk about a virus that originated in Wuhan, China, back in December that we all now know as Coronavirus or COVID 19.

In the beginning, everyone thought it was just a cold that spread pretty quickly.

We later found out it originated from humans ingesting bats, and its flu-like disease could cause pneumonia to certain people and even death.

The death rate compared to the actual number of people infected was less than 2%. This resulted in the majority of the population not paying attention to the precautions and regulations established by authorities. 

How to check for symptoms

Review this chart to check for any signs of early symptoms. 😷📝

Now look at us, we’re living in a horror or Sci-fi movie, straight from a Black Mirror episode. The virus has recently been declared a pandemic, affecting more than 160 countries and claiming more than 11,000 lives.

Let’s look at the current situation of the virus.

Latest News and Updates on Coronavirus (Updated March 21st)

• Cases in the US grow to 29, 235.
• Age is just a number. It was previously established that elders were the most affected by the virus. We are now seeing young and healthy people, with no previous pathologies getting hospitalized and taken to the ICU. 
• Italy is taking a beating. The death toll rises by 793 to 4,825. 
• It’s not just a cough and not only regular flu. Doctors and Scientists have stated that the disease is more dangerous than it initially appeared. 
• Emirate Group suspends passenger flights and cuts staff salaries.
• Wuhan, China cases are decreasing. This Monday, China reported only 40 new cases, at its peak, it reported 4,000 new cases a day.
• World governments and authorities are starting to declare martial law. 
• Medical students are being called to work as staff in hospitals.
• Jennifer Haller was the first human volunteer to receive the experimental coronavirus vaccine in the US.

• Doctors look for HIV and Ebola drugs to find a cure. The drugs being tested are Kaletra, a drug used to treat HIV, and Remdesivir, a drug that was initially tested to treat Ebola, but it was not strong enough for that virus. 
• It was believed that the virus would die in hot temperatures. Tropical countries like El Salvador and Brazil have also been affected by the illness, with cases increasing as days go by. 
• Second dog tests positive to the virus. Coronavirus is now being spread onto other species; dogs are currently being tested positive with the virus in Hong Kong.
• Brands and companies are entirely redefining their processes. Most companies are now working remotely, and companies like Netflix are taking this as an opportunity to grow. They just launched “Netflix Party,” a chrome extension that allows you to watch Netflix in a synchronized way with your friends during confinement. 

 

What makes Coronavirus so dangerous? 

So, the death rate of the virus is still pretty low. As of now, there are currently 303,074 cases in the world, and the number of deaths is not even close to half, with 12957 deaths worldwide. 

COVID 19 is highly contagious. To give you a little perspective, here is how the virus has spread in just a couple of months.

The stats are pretty scary if you ask me. As of today, we know that Coronavirus can spread from one person to the next as fast and as easy as it is to breathe. 🌬

The rules and regulations to follow and prevent the virus from spreading even more are: 

• Consistently wash your hands (thoroughly).
• Use hand sanitizer every time you touch something that has been in contact with someone else.
• Stay at home, only leave if you have an emergency like buying groceries, going to the bank, or going to the pharmacy.
• If you do leave your house, go by yourself, unless you are a child.
• Do not use public transportation.
• When you leave your house, wear a mask and glasses if you have available.
• Disinfect everything that has been in touch with the outside of your home.
• Avoid touching your nose, mouth, and eyes as much as you can. 
• Practice social distancing, meaning you can’t be near anyone. The recommended distance between one person and another is 4-5 meters. 

The pandemic of the Coronavirus in El Salvador has people lining up to get into Pricesmart before everything runs out. 🚗🛒

What’s going on in the outside?

Governments around the world have taken extreme measures like closing airports, locking down entire cities, applying martial law or curfews, which has led to a complete desolation in cities around the world. Iconic tourist attractions like Times Square in New York City or the Vatican in Rome have been left without a soul.

In Italy, the healthcare system is collapsing, with hospitals unable to hold more patients and the required number of trained personnel. We’ve seen the impact it has done to China, where they had to turn hotels into hospitals due to the grave amount of patients requiring assistance. 

The once filled streets of the Vatican are now empty.

People from countries that have not yet been hit as bad as the US are still going out, some bars and gyms were still open this week, and people were careless. 

 The danger itself is us; humans who won’t listen and try to move around life like nothing is happening.  It’s not business as usual; this is one of the biggest world crisis the earth has faced. 

Just because the virus hasn’t hit your family and friends, your town, or even your country, it doesn’t mean that it won’t.

According to different scientists, the rest of the countries are currently facing the same fate as Italy and China. It’s only a matter of time for the virus to catch up. And remember, there is no cure!

Think about it; it’s not just the virus itself; it’s about the consequences that we will face afterward. 

Life with Coronavirus: What will the upcoming year look like after the virus?

According to the Washington Post, if Coronavirus keeps spreading the way it is and people don’t take the necessary precautions, America is on a trajectory of 1.1 million deaths. The coronavirus forecast is grim. “Bottom line, it’s going to get worse,” said Anthony Fauci, Director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Keep in mind that pandemics aren’t just physical; they bring with them social, psychological, and economic distress. We are already facing a financial crisis with a possible recession. Most people have begun to work from home. For now, the future seems bleak for businesses or independent professionals like dentists who rely on their day to day income to make a living.

Most likely, people will lose their jobs because companies won’t be able to maintain the same amount of employees. After all, they won’t be selling as much. During the 1918 flu, the economic pressure was so bad that business owners and workers caused the public to resist adopting restrictions. Hopefully, we won’t get to that level of desperation. The truth is, Coronavirus will change the world permanently, the world as we know it won’t longer exist. 

New systems and ways of interacting will emerge. People will most likely become more united because everyone will be going through the same hurdles. We’ve already seen how governments have allowed their countries to not pay for taxes. Measures like this will continue to emerge as we try to stay afloat as to what’s ahead. 

How El Salvador escaped the claws of Coronavirus for as long as it could

El Salvador is one of the countries least affected by Coronavirus.

This is thanks to the Salvadoran government adopting precautions early on, long before we had the first case (we currently have three confirmed cases).

Through his Twitter account, Nayib Bukele, El Salvador’s president, has been consistently notifying the country of all the Coronavirus updates. 🐦

After observing the alarming situation of first world countries, the Salvadoran government decided to take immediate action. While countries such as China or Italy are facing the obstacles of Coronavirus, El Salvador had a little amount of time to prepare before its inevitable arrival.

The Coronavirus in El Salvador affects shortages of products in supermarkets like toilet paper, milk, and water. 🧻🥛💧

The government declared quarantine for 21 days without confirmed Coronavirus cases in El Salvador. Take a look at the timeline of how the different regulations have been put into action: 

1. First, all people coming in from China, Italy, Spain, Iran, and Mexico were put in solitary confinement and quarantine. 
2. Second, public and private schools and universities were closed. People above the age of 60, along with pregnant women, were sent home from work (with pay) until further notice. 
3. The Salvadoran government declared that all businesses that required close contact between people like dental clinics needed to close. 
4. All restaurants, bars, gyms, and call centers are closed until further notice.
5. March 17th, authorities declared a complete travel ban, no airline could land in El Salvador.
6. The government declared that everyone is allowed to work from home and that every company should close except supermarkets, pharmacies, and banks. 
7. On March 18th, the first case was confirmed, and the government locked down the town of Metapan where the infected person was being treated. 
8. As of today, Sunday March 22nd the government declared martial law in the entire country. No one is allowed to go out except to get groceries, medicines, or go to the doctor.

The area of Metapan is now in quarantine. Since March 21, Nayib Bukele has ordered the residents of El Salvador to stay in their houses for 30 days. 🇸🇻

Moving forward

Keep in mind that all of these developed within days, starting approximately in the second week of March. Every day we received a new regulation that needed to take place. Besides the different precautions, the government has decided to take action foreseeing what lies ahead. 

Knowing that the aftermath of this crisis will be hard on us, the government has offered relief for its citizens by suspending charges for services like water, electricity, and the Internet for three months. Some businesses will also be exempt from taxes for the next three months. Independent sellers and professionals will also receive $300 a month to sustain themselves since they won’t be able to keep their regular business.

El Salvador is no stranger to crisis; we know how to handle pain and pick ourselves up as a nation after a tragedy has struck. The government has made the best possible decisions, but we’ve seen how the country has come together. Private entities and civilians have also joined the government in these efforts.

Tigo, one of the nation’s biggest cable and internet providers, has changed their standard message on every user’s phone with the text “Stay Home” or “Quedate en Casa” in Spanish. 

President Nayib Bukele stated yesterday in a nationwide broadcast that  the measurements taken by the government were by no means perfect, but taking immediate action even if those actions were far from perfect was going to save the nation. 

Closing Thoughts

So, I know we are all scared and overwhelmed, but it’s okay because for once the world is in this together, no matter what race, social status, gender, or level of education you have, we are all facing the same situation.

I want to leave you with this text I read today, which I think perfectly summarizes what we are facing:

I hope this gives you something to reflect on. Be safe, everyone, and stay inside so we can beat the Coronavirus in El Salvador and the world!

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