Source: Center for Disease Control

The Coronavirus: Where is it Now?

By: Sarah Wilson, Maddie Starks, and Kinley DuRant

What to Know:

The first case of Coronavirus, an extremely dangerous respiratory virus, was reported to the World Health Organization on December 31^st, 2019.  As of January 28^th, the death toll has risen to 132.  The number of confirmed cases in the world totals at around 6000.  The US has 5 confirmed cases of Coronavirus and has ramped up airport and border screenings in response to the sickness reaching home.  A vaccine is yet to be developed, making prevention one of our weakest defenses against this new, mysterious virus. As this disease is commonly lethal,  being informed with accurate information will allow one to avoid spreading the virus or contracting it. Across social media platforms, users are sharing their terror over the possibility of the disease spreading in their home countries.

Here are some things to know:

•  Over 11 million posts concerning the Coronavirus have been reported from January 14^th to January 29^th.
• Conversation surrounding the virus is mainly negative, with 73.6% of posts reflecting negative wording.
  • Negative sentiment spiked on January 28^th as the reported death toll began to rise.

•  Conversation is international, a reflection of how prominent the problem at hand is globally.
• U.S. is leading the conversation in terms of volume
• While the disease originated and has mainly affected those in China, only 1% of conversation is reported to be from China, which is understandable
  • Chinese government sanctions non-Chinese media and many social media outlets for its citizens.
• As of this Tuesday, about 10,000 Americans were still stuck in Wuhan waiting for permission to travel back to the states.

Economic analysts have claimed that it is too early to make any assumptions about the effect that the disease currently has on the global economy.  However, several businesses have already closed in China, such as McDonald’s and Starbucks.  Japan has evacuated some of its citizens from Wuhan, China, where the disease began and is most rampant.  U.S. officials and businesses have cautioned American citizens against visiting China and have become extremely strict on border control.   Overall, the conversation surrounding Coronavirus is a one of fear, comprised of a mixture of informative, humorous, and emotionally charged posts,  as users struggle with the possibility that could be affected personally by this uncontrolled and currently incurable disease.