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Know Your World
The 2MT is the voice of Generation Z
Written by @ameliezilber // @twominutetimes
Global Coronavirus Update
The number of global coronavirus cases surpassed 300,000, this morning, with more than 13,000 deaths worldwide. 
Here’s a brief rundown:
The coronavirus is a respiratory virus that was first reported in Wuhan, China, back in December, and has since swept the globe in a matter of weeks, reaching 177 countries and being characterized by the World Health Organization as a pandemic. 
The virus is spread when 
  1. A sick person coughs or sneezes, making anyone within six feet of them vulnerable to inhaling the droplets, 
  2. An infected person sneezes or coughs onto a surface, such as a countertop or a doorknob, and another person touches that surface then rubs their eyes or nose. The virus can last for hours to days on hard surfaces.
For symptoms to start showing, it can take anywhere from two to 14 days, meaning that infected individuals, who don’t yet know they’re sick, can very easily spread the virus by simply leaving their homes and touching surfaces, completely unaware of how contagious they are. 

Who’s at risk? 
For the most part, the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions. However, out of the 12% of sick people who end up needing serious medical attention, about 1 in 5 are among people aged between 20 to 44. This virus is impacting the entire population, and it's something the entire population should be responding to. 

Here's my take:
This virus is no joke. In just the past few days I’ve had family members, close family friends and neighbors fall ill, with some being sent to hospitals under critical condition and others forced to stay home in complete quarantine as to not jeopardize the safety and survival of their loved ones. Either way, the reality is this: the virus is here and thousands are expected to get sick. Our healthcare system is already overwhelmed, with mask and ventilator shortages, with patients being treated in hallways and waiting rooms, with exhausted healthcare workers on call 24/7 and at great risk of falling ill to the virus. In just a matter of days, there will not be enough medical supplies to ensure all critically ill are guaranteed fair treatment – doctors will be forced to decide which patient gets treatment and which one dies. ‘


To all of you who refuse to stay home, who continue to enjoy time off school for social purposes, you are singlehandedly contributing to the spread of this virus and, by association, to the deaths of many in your community. Every day there isn’t social distancing, more and more people get sick. This is an exponential threat, so be responsible and do your part – not tomorrow, today. 

U.S.

Nearly 30,000 cases of the coronavirus have been identified in the U.S., a figure that continues to grow rapidly as more and more individuals finally receive access to testing, and thousands continue to leave their homes despite nationwide calls for social distancing.
As of this afternoon, 390 patients with the virus have died, and now 80 million Americans are under virtual lockdown, as dictated by state orders in California, New York, Illinois, Connecticut, and New Jersey, urging nonessential workers to stay home in an effort to prevent the spread and reduce stress on the healthcare system. 

With regards to the economy, there’s little doubt in the minds of economists that the nation is heading into a recession due to the pandemic, with businesses shutting down and Americans shut inside, unable to consume. However, the depth of destruction and time it will take to bounce back are both unclear. One thing’s for certain, if we all stay home and decrease the risk of the virus spreading by substantially minimizing interactions, life can get back to normal, people will no longer be unemployed, businesses will start back up and we’ll see a gradual increase in the market. Otherwise, the result might be staggering… and especially devastating. Stay home! 

China

China’s on the mend, with the number of people tested positive for corona having reached a net-zero earlier last week, and only jumping slightly to 46 in the past couple of days as international students and those stuck abroad are making it back home. For the past two months, the city of Wuhan, China has been under strict lockdown (think: no public transportation, all businesses shut down, curfew’s employed, no leaving the house, etc.). But now, as domestic cases are decreasing, the country is trying to restart its economy by loosening restrictions and slowly returning life back to normal. This is the effect of unanimous social distancing: PROGRESS. 
 

Italy
 
Italy has it the worst right now, by far, as over 53,000 people have been infected with more than 4,800 dead, and the rate of increase keeps growing. Hundreds, every day now, fall in critical condition despite hospitals lacking the necessary materials to keep everyone alive – in the simplest of terms, the sheer number of extremely sick people overwhelming hospitals means doctors are being forced to choose who will live and who will die. Just last Saturday, 793 individuals were killed by the virus. 
As of right now, the nation’s death rate is 9%, officially surpassing China as the country with the highest death toll.

The tragedy of Italy, as heartbreaking as it is, should be the greatest warning sign to Europe and the U.S., wherein the virus is speedily arriving at an equal force. If Italy’s experience shows us anything, it’s that extreme action must be taken early – affected areas should be isolated, widespread movement should be limited, and the nation’s broader population must stay home. All of this needs to happen as quickly as possible because governments in Europe and America are now in danger of following the same path, repeating the same mistakes, and unraveling to the same deadly fate. 
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