Emma McCarthy
Last week I flew from Chicago to Newark, and at both airports I saw dozens of people wearing protective face masks. Like Ebola and H1N1 before it, Coronavirus has created mass panic across the United States. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses from a common cold to more severe diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The novel coronavirus is a new strain, passed from livestock, that has just recently been reported in humans. While the risk level to Americans remains low, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has declared a public health emergency. There is much international and national concern surrounding the coronavirus. However, why aren’t we as a nation, equally concerned about other preventable causes of death with higher incidence rates? As of February 10, thirteen Americans have been infected with the novel coronavirus and none have died. At this same date, there have been 4,549 gun related deaths in 2020. In 2019, nearly 40,000 people died as a result of gun violence. For more context, each year, about 700 women die from pregnancy or delivery complications. Native American/Alaska Native women and black women are 2-3x more likely to die from a pregnancy related cause compared to white women. Since August 2019, 64 individuals have died as a result of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (EVALI). An estimated 13,000 people die each year while experiencing homelessness. In 2018, 48,344 Americans died by suicide. The CDC estimates that there are 192 drug overdoses in the Unites States every day. Finally, as of February this year, there have been between 12,000-13,000 deaths from influenza this season. So why is there so much concern over the coronavirus when so many other health concerns plague our nation? This is not to say the novel coronavirus poses no risk. However, perhaps we as Americans should be just as frightened by some of the aforementioned health issues as we are of coronavirus. Perhaps with the same level of concern there would be a similarly diligent course of action for these far more pressing problems.
* The World Health Association recommends standard prevention method to stop the spread of novel coronavirus; regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms.
“How Communication Factors In”
What are a few communication issues surrounding the Coronavirus?
1. Misinformation: There is a great deal of misinformation about 1) how the coronavirus came to be, 2) how it is contracted and spread, and 3) how to protect yourself from it.
2. Listen to official channels: While there are thought-pieces published on various websites and journals right now, it is advised that individuals who want to know more about the Coronavirus, they should visit the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s websites. Does this health issue have an equity concern? Indeed it does. Though it should go without saying, the CDC has recently put out a communications checklist that directly warns individuals against showing prejudice to people of Asian descent, because of fear of this new virus. In short, do not assume that someone of Asian descent is more likely to have 2019-nCoV.