Although the flu is what Americans should be fully worried about since it causes 12,000 to 61,000 deaths in the U.S. per year, the quick widespread of the coronavirus has many people anxious since its discovery in December 2019.

Like swine flu and Ebola, the new case of coronavirus has sparked global outrage. The coronavirus disease, COVID-19, is less harmful than Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, SARS – a more deadly, but much less infectious virus – but more extreme than the flu. Symptoms start to appear between one and 14 days. Some cases have gone from no symptoms to severe symptoms within an hour, according to a spokesperson for Life Care Center of Kirkland, which is the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S., in Washington state.

According to John Hopkins Medicine, a difference that COVID-19 has from the flu is that it could be spread through the airborne route, meaning that tiny droplets remaining in the air could cause disease in others even after the ill person is no longer ill.

Since this is a new virus, no one has immunity to it, and a vaccine is still in the works. This should be taken critically. It causes serious illness. One in every five people who catch it need hospital care, according to the World Health Organization.

As of March 7, the novel coronavirus has killed more than 3,500 people and has infected over 100,000 people worldwide. The deaths caused due to coronavirus is constantly rising by the hour and is fluctuating every day.

I believe people are saying that the coronavirus is overhyped because everywhere they turn there is new updated information about it. This disease has no cure so far, and it is killing so many people in a short period of time. Imagine going into the new decade and finding out that anyone and everyone is at risk of getting a new virus that has no cure and a rapid death rate that is comparable to the Spanish flu.

Older people and people who had pre-existing medical conditions should not take the news of the coronavirus lightly, since they appear to develop serious illness more often than others. Because of the severity and rapidness the coronavirus has spread, practicing good hygiene is needed for everyone.

Governments around the world are making the right decisions when placing travel bans on their countries. This is preventing the virus from spreading even more swiftly. I believe that the scare of the virus is making people practice good hygiene and take care of themselves. More and more people are washing their hands and posting about purchasing tons of hand sanitizer off the shelves in stores.

Although practicing good hygiene won’t prevent the disease, it is still a good way to stay relatively safe. Washing your hands thoroughly and regularly is a start. Coughing properly, mouth inside of the arm, is the safest way to not spread any germs. Thank you, coronavirus, for letting people realize how to appropriately wash their hands and take care of themselves.

I believe that once the vaccine for the virus comes out, people will feel a little bit at ease. I think everyone should take this pandemic seriously. My purpose is not to scare anyone, just to inform them that the coronavirus is not overrated, and what you saw in the media is people’s real reactions to this new virus, even if their reactions are a bit absurd. Yes, it is scary, and it’s okay to be worried but also to be informed on the precautions to take in order to reduce the risk of catching it. There are so many unknowns about the virus, and we must take the proper safety measures to stay safe. Make sure to follow updates from the World Health Organization and The Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention.