What does the West High community know about the coronavirus?
WSS interns interview West High students and staff about their knowledge of COVID-19 and how they have seen it affect the West community, particularly Asian students.
Kevy Huynh, Maya Chu, Willow Oleson, and Lydia Shin
March 13, 2020
The coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, is a respiratory disease that was first detected in Wuhan, China. There are more than 115,000 cases as of March 10, 2020 (after this video was filmed) and the death toll is at around 4,000. The virus has spread to every continent besides Antarctica. Italy, Iran, South Korea, Japan and the United States have reported the most cases, and these numbers are quickly rising. The Italian government has put the entire country on lockdown, and China has restricted the movement of 60 million people in the Hubei province. Currently, the United States has over 1,000 cases spread across 38 states.
COVID-19 is causing major concern all around the world and has caused travel restrictions, tanked markets, and suspended schools. United States markets dropped nearly 7 percent, triggering an automatic halt on trading on March 9, the worst day in finance since the Great Recession in 2008. Even though the decline has stabilized, it’s clear how great of an effect the coronavirus has had on the global economy. Not only are economies being affected, cultural, sporting and political events are being canceled and postponed. The outbreak has also paved way for large amounts of misinformation, as well as racism and xenophobia against Asians. To keep yourself safe, the CDC recommends to avoid touching your face, stay home when sick, and wash your hands. The future of COVID-19 is uncertain at the moment, but scientists are working on medicines and vaccines that could change the current path of this virus. We encourage you to keep up with the news to stay informed on the latest updates on COVID-19.
