During this time of great uncertainty, we’re all worried about how to keep ourselves and our family safe.
There’s still a lot to learn about coronavirus (COVID-19) and it’s long-term effects on the world. While companies around the world are working on vaccinations and making progress, you may be wondering how to stay safe from the virus.
But, even if there isn’t a vaccine to work with, there are certain and proven steps that we can take to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe from viruses.
Traveling can spark fears over germs at the best of times. But, taking a trip during a major outbreak undoubtedly adds new gravitas to concerns, especially during something as serious as a pandemic.
You may find yourself asking questions like “Should I cancel my flight?”, “How can I stay safe?” and “Where can I get reliable information?”
While minimizing travel may be ideal, it’s not always possible. So, here are a few important tips for traveling to a region in the middle of a viral outbreak:
On March 11, the World Health Organization announced that coronavirus (COVID-19) is officially a pandemic.
For months, countries around the world had already been taking action against the virus. Increased cases led to mass quarantines and more testing.
But, the decision from the WHO is rare, even for a disease that’s spread worldwide. The world’s last official pandemic was in 2009, caused by the H1N1 swine flu.
With the entire globe now working to slow the COVID-19 pandemic, what does that term mean?
Before a deadly pandemic spreads across the globe, it starts small. The seemingly harmless cases can then slowly grow into global catastrophes. That journey has now been clarified with a new report from the John Hopkins Center for Health Security.
When considering what makes a disease a possible pandemic, there are no hard and fast guidelines. Instead, scientists typically look to the past to see historical examples of outbreaks showing effective responses to similar events.
But, this means we are always looking behind instead of properly evaluating serious pathogens with which we lack experience. Research, led by senior scholar Amesh Adalja, MD, has been put into “The Characteristics of Pandemic Pathogens” and aims to change this.
So often in everyday conversations, you hear the words “virus” and “bacteria” used interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing.
In fact, it’s important to know the difference between the two because treatment and prevention differ for each. It’s key to recognize these differences and know if something is a virus or a disease.
