Coronavirus Essay
The coronavirus pandemic has taken the world by storm within the past several months.
Initially starting off as an internal outbreak in mainland China, it has eventually reached other
countries around the world causing the World Health Organizations to declare the outbreak as
a pandemic. As of right this moment, according to worldometers.info, there are 210 countries
and territories around the world have reported a total of 3,127,912 confirmed cases of the
coronavirus COVID-19 that originated from Wuhan, China, and a death toll of 216,986 deaths.
These numbers are still drastically increasing every single day, and it has been reported that this
pandemic is just starting, and will continue affecting the world, damaging the economy for
another 2 or 3 years at least; until a vaccine is developed. Sadly, a vaccine for the coronavirus is
yet to be developed, but we must remain vigilant and rest assured that doctors and researchers
are looking for one day in, day out. Until that day comes, we as the human race must remain
patient and calm during these dire times, but we must also remain as cautious as possible so as
to lessen the spread of the virus in our countries, and to eventually reach the goal of
eradicating the coronavirus from the face of the earth once and for all.
The symptoms that can be observed from a coronavirus patient can range from small, mild
symptoms to severe and dangerous symptoms. Those who observe less severe cases typical
recover from the coronavirus much quicker than those with more severe cases. As those with
severe cases require immediate attention in Intensive Care Units (ICU). The mild symptoms of
the coronavirus include excessive coughing, a strong fever, and even shortness of breath. Other
mild symptoms include severe vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, sore throats, and tiredness.
These types of symptoms do not usually require for the patient to be in an ICU ward and can be
treated very quickly. Now the severe cases of the coronavirus always stem from the mild
symptoms if not treated quick enough and would require immediate attention in the ICU.
Severe symptoms include (other than the mild symptoms) trouble breathing, excessive chest
pain or pressure, confusion, blue face or lips.
So, what has originally caused this horrid disease to breakout in the first place? In order to find
out, we need to trace back our steps towards where the disease originated from in the first
place. Many people have claimed that the virus first took notice in mainland China, specifically,
Wuhan, and that a man just decided to purchase some bat from the local animal market and
ate it, and that the bat was the carrier to the virus and it had finally reached humans via this
form of contact. Analysts have conducted thorough research into how China should have
handled the outbreak of the disease in the first place, concluding that China could’ve prevented
the infection rate by up to 50-70%. Unfortunately, China slacked in that aspect and now the
coronavirus is all over the world, holding no jurisdiction as to where and who does it target,
which only makes this pandemic ever more scarier. A certain Prof. Edward Holmes from the
University of Sydney has conducted research as to discovering the origin of the virus by looking
at his genome. He has since stressed throughout social media that the species that served as a
host for the virus is “still uncertain”. So far, scientists like Prof. Holmes are yet to determine the
exact origins of the virus and are still uncertain that the virus came from bats like what many
people have come to believe.
The coronavirus’s effect varies amongst different nations across the world, obviously it all has
to do with the countries state of its healthcare and their economy. Take the United States of
America for example. The country is well known for its bad healthcare that is not accessible to
the whole population, which is why the United States is currently ranked #1 country with
highest coronavirus cases and death rates, with over a million cases and over 60,000 deaths.
Now when we take a look at countries in Europe like Germany for example, we can clearly see a
huge difference in the way that both governments manage their healthcare systems. Currently,
there are over 150,000 cases in Germany but, only 6,000 deaths compared to other countries
over 100,000 cases in the books (Spain, Italy, UK, France). This is due to Germany excellent
healthcare as well as their quick response towards combating the spread of the virus in the
country. Saudi Arabia fairs similarly to Germany in terms of Cases to deaths, with now over
20,000 cases but only 162 deaths, as well as over 3,000 recoveries. This makes it very evident
that different countries have suffered very differently from the coronavirus and it all falls down
towards how fast the country responds to the outbreak and preventing it from spreading
rapidly across the country, as well as how food or bad the healthcare is in the county.
The Saudi Arabian government has done a great job in preventing the disease from rapidly
spreading across the country and has taken many measures to help alleviate the pressure off of
the hospitals to quickly treat patients, with current recoveries well over 3,000 from over 20,000
cases. The measures that the Saudi Arabian government has taken include applying a strict daily
curfew law that the citizens must abide by, which at first was from 6am to 3pm, but now during
Ramadan has changed, making it from 9am to 5pm. Other measures that the Saudi government
has taken includes the closure of all retail stores and malls across the country, schools have
been closed down to move towards virtual learning instead, and the only things that are open
are pharmacies and supermarkets, even restaurants have closed down leaving for the delivery
option to be applicable. Another thing that the Saudi Arabian government must be praised of is
its outstanding achievements in human rights. How so? The government has officially declared
free healthcare for all; residents, citizens, and even illegal residents are eligible for free
healthcare and treatment from any hospital. Such amazing work being done by Saudi Arabia,
which is something to be looked upon by the rest of the world.
Certain preventative measures must be taken in order to lessen the spread of the coronavirus.
Since the virus is mainly spread via the open air and from object to object, people must
constantly wash their hands with the proper kind of soap and water for 20 seconds. When
going out, people must always wear masks since the virus is airborne and can be contracted
from people who have coughed in the air or even on you! Other measures include keeping
distance between each other (2m), covering your coughs and sneezes and cleaning and
disinfecting frequently touched surfaces daily according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). These are all methods that we must abide by if we are to witness the
eradication of this disease. The world is in currently turmoil, but we must remain hopeful and
optimistic that things will get better in the future.
Word Count: 1200 words
Bibliography:
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Readfearn, Graham. “How Did Coronavirus Start and Where Did It Come from? Was It
Really Wuhan's Animal Market?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 28 Apr.
2020, www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/28/how-did-the-coronavirus-startwhere-did-it-come-from-how-did-it-spread-humans-was-it-really-bats-pangolins-wuhananimal-market.

“Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical
Education and Research, 24 Apr. 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/coronavirus/symptoms-causes/syc-20479963.

“How to Protect Yourself & Others.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, 24 Apr. 2020, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html.

“Coronavirus Cases:” Worldometer, www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/.