The coronavirus, COVID-19, is apart of a large family of viruses that can cause varying respiratory complications. The symptoms can range from the common cold to more severe symptoms such as a respiratory infection. Scientists and medical experts initially thought that COVID-19 only affected the older population and those with pre-existing conditions.

Before the outbreak of the coronavirus, some people have never heard of the term “social distancing.” This is because we live in a society that encourages socialization and togetherness even when we aren’t directly communicating. Being alone in public places can oftentimes lead to fear and worry, especially at night. We are comforted by seeing others around us and operating in a similar manner to us. 

During the week of March 16-20, about 3.3 million people filed for unemployment, according to the Labor Department. The number is expected to climb with each week of the economic shutdown. The total number of unemployment claims was much higher than the 1.5 million claims that economists expected.

Hospitals are only efficient if they have the nurses and staff to manage them. With the surge of COVID-19 cases, health care workers are seeing hundreds of patients a day with the novel virus. And many of them are running out of PPC equipment like gowns and masks to protect themselves from the virus. 

Many young adults have this false sense of immortality that has extended in the face of the coronavirus. We have all seen this with the countless spring breakers in Florida that claimed they didn’t care if they became infected with the virus. Comments that many have since apologized for as many of them are now infected themselves. 

Across the nation we have seen an abundance of coronavirus outbreaks in New York, California and Washington. Although health officials predict that the states of Louisiana and Michigan are upcoming epicenters of the coronavirus. 

When someone feels pain in their chest and has difficulty breathing, there could be many reasons for it. Most chest infections tend to have similar symptoms and can be difficult to diagnose from another. Whether the infection is pneumonia, bronchitis, or something else, is important to know to treat it. Also, some of these illnesses are contagious while others aren’t. 

As the coronavirus spreads, many nursing homes are struggling to prevent and contain the virus. Although for caregivers and home health nurses, they need to decide how to protect themselves and the person being cared for. Many of their patients are elderly or suffer from chronic illnesses. Therefore, having a caregiver around is necessary and required for dressing, bathing, and taking medications. 

Hospitals and nursing homes are becoming the epicenters of the coronavirus spread. Both places contain people who are most at risk for the virus, those with chronic conditions and those who are elderly. The coronavirus is spreading coast to coast across the U.S. and affecting most states and this point in time, some worse than others. As of now, California, Washington, and New York appear to be the most affected and reporting the most cases.

Healthcare workers are on the frontlines of all infections and diseases. From EMTs to nurses to physicians, their risk of contracting the coronavirus is higher than the average person. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, a surprising number of healthcare workers were discovered to wash their hands less than half the number of times that they should.