Coronavirus has given us all quite the scare. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the virus that quickly spread from animals to humans started in China and has now made its way to around 82 countries, including the United States. As said by Worldometer, globally there have been around 94,000 cases, over 3,000 deaths and over 51,000 recoveries. So, as the dire situation in China finally seems to be under control, what’s the situation in the United States as of now?
In the US, the CDC says there are currently 60 recorded cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) and six deaths. To prevent the further spread of the virus, travel to any affected country is discouraged, and the Washington Post says many universities around the country are strongly discouraging travel to affected countries as well. Some are even pulling their students studying abroad back from these countries. Programs in Italy, the top choice for students that study abroad, have been affected the most. FSU, FIU, Stanford, NYU, Syracuse, the University of California, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, American University and other schools have all taken action in some way, whether that is temporarily suspending their program, attempting to get students home, making all classes online, or canceling the program altogether. Study abroad in China and South Korea has also been heavily affected. Another concern universities across the country have are school-sponsored spring break trips. Most trips to affected countries have been canceled, but there is even worry of travel to non-affected countries, simply because transportation modes like planes and cruise ships are often cesspools of germs with passengers from around the world getting on with little-to-no health checks. With three cases now confirmed in Florida, and Florida being one of the top choices for spring breakers, what does this mean?
There’s little news so far on cruise lines or hotels canceling or shutting down in unaffected areas. According to ABC7, there have been a few scares, including a cruise line that was denied access to multiple ports in the Caribbean for fear there were passengers onboard with coronavirus (it was just the flu), but no drastic cases. So, if your trip isn’t canceled should you still go? Unless the situation in Florida grows worse or the location you’re traveling to becomes affected, if you are a young, healthy individual, the CDC considers you to be at low risk of contracting the virus. As COVID-19 is not spreading widely in the United States, the general American public is at low risk. If you have an underlying health condition, have recently traveled to an affected country, or have been in contact with someone who has, you may be at a higher risk of becoming infected. To prevent the spread of illness, the CDC recommends washing your hands frequently, avoiding close contact with those who are ill, taking preventative measures against other, treatable illnesses that can weaken your immune system such as the flu and only wearing a face mask if you are already ill and contagious, not as a preventative measure.
Whether you decide to travel for spring break or not, have fun and stay safe!
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