֍ COVID-19 ֎ Animation ֍

Notes & Credits

THIS INFORMATION IS FROM EARLY 2020; SOME OF IT MAY BE OUTDATED! <><><><><><>COVID-19 FAQs<><><><><><> Q: Wait, which is it, coronavirus or COVID-19? A: A coronavirus is the name for a group of related viruses. COVID-19 is the disease caused by a strain of coronavirus that is currently infecting many worldwide. Its name comes from an abbreviation of *CO*rona*VI*rus *D*isease 20*19*. Q: Should I be panicked about this new disease? A: No, it is never a good idea to panic. Q: Okay, should I be worried for my life, then? A: Unless you are over the age of 60 or have a chronic medical condition like asthma or immunodeficiency syndrome, you have a very low chance of dying from the disease. Q: Oh, so that means it's okay that it's spreading? A: No! Even if you don't care about the lives of the weak and elderly (although you should care about everyone's lives), a virus, like species of animals and plants, changes its genetic code every time it copies itself by infecting a cell. We call these changes "mutations". Most mutations actually change nothing about the virus, and some make it weaker, but some mutations make it more infective. The virus that is more infective will spread faster than its weaker counterparts, which can lead to a worsening of the outbreak. This could end up being bad for people of all ages, so everyone should care about stopping the infection's spread. Q: Is it like the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918? A: The Spanish Flu pandemic that happened about 100 years ago was a terrifying disease that swept across the world and killed up to 50 million people. Some people are quick to draw parallels between it and COVID-19, but there are some key differences. For one, it struck near the end of World War One. At that point, it was being carried around the world by soldiers constantly in close proximity that gave it the ability to spread. Additionally, the governments of most countries didn't want others to know they were sick for fear of looking weak in the war, so the public didn't know what was going on or how to stay safe. Neither of these are true for COVID-19. Finally, Spanish Flu was so deadly because it killed people in the prime of their lives, not only the old or weak. These key differences make me believe that we DO NOT have a Spanish Flu situation on our hands. Q: It's just like the common, yearly flu, right? A: No, it's not like this, either. Yes, the symptoms can look like the flu at first, but it is NOT a VERSION of the flu. The flu has killed fewer people, and it has infected more people and has killed a much smaller percentage of those it has infected than COVID-19. The key differences between a yearly flu outbreak and this coronavirus outbreak are that we don't have a vaccine for this yet (but they're working on it!) and almost no one has been exposed, so almost no one is immune. Q: How does it spread? A: It spreads when the spit of an infected person that leaves the mouth when one talks, coughs, or sneezes gets into the body of a healthy person. This might happen if you touch a surface an infected person touched and then rub your eyes or pick your nose. Q: How can I protect myself from it? A: Don't touch your face unless you've cleaned your hands. Wash your hand thoroughly, scrubbing your fingertips, palms, webs, and wrists for 20 seconds, after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose and before eating anything. Wipe down your phone with alcohol when you come back from a busy place. Also, wear a mask! It helps stop you from infecting others if you're sick, and it can also help partially protect you. Have other questions? Go watch the free BrainPop about coronaviruses with your parents. If you feel you are too old for BrainPop, check out SciShow; they have some good episodes on COVID-19. This Scratch project also has some useful advice: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/371950919/