Jordan Carlson
Staff Writer
The coronavirus, which had its first confirmed case in the United States on Jan. 15, has started to multiply across the country. As of Monday, there have been 15 confirmed cases in the US.
The virus has started to hurt the global economy, with workers in China having trouble getting to work due to closed public transport and certain provinces such as the Hubei province being quarantined.
Along with the quarantine in Hubei, all United States citizens were removed
from the area and brought to two military bases in California, where 346 of
them have been released and allowed to return to their homes. Only one citizen
has contracted the virus and is staying in quarantine on base according to a
National Public Radio article.
The quarantine in China and California are not the only ones in the world, with there being an ongoing quarantine on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan, where the coronavirus was found on board. The World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit organization, has set up an external kitchen at the dock where the ship is located in order to provide meals for those on the ship.
Jose Andres, the founder of the organization, said on Twitter they will be working on the ground for as long as needed and the purpose of this is to help relieve pressure from the crew on board.
The cruise ship has started to evacuate American passengers, with 14 Americans being flown to an air force base in Texas, where they are being held for quarantine. Over 300 other Americans were flown back to the US after not testing positive for the virus.
On board the ship there are still 2,404 passengers. Five hundred and forty two of the 2,404 have tested positive for the virus and are all being held in quarantine until an evacuation plan is in place.
The virus has not only halted the lives of many around the world, it is also starting to have dire impact on the global economy, much of which is just starting to show.
Companies such as Apple came forward early Tuesday morning where they said they would not meet their first quarter revenue guidance due to the coronavirus. Along with other companies who have ties to China such as Airbus, these companies are seeing a decrease in stock value due to the impending virus.
The underlying reason for the economy taking a toll due to the coronavirus is the quarantines in China. Public transport is closed which makes it costly to get to work using other means of transportation.
The coronavirus has also affected academics around the world, with study abroad trips being cancelled to mainland China and flights no longer going to those destinations, according to Corey Billington, Ph.D at the University of Wyoming.
“I teach classes at the university as well as schools in France, due to the coronavirus my students are no longer capable of travelling to China for their studies,” Billington said.
“Student Health Service has become aware of concerns regarding coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) on the University of Wyoming campus. We have had no reports of a suspected or positive case and have been in contact with the Wyoming Department of Health regarding this matter,” stated the University of Wyoming’s Student Health Services released statement, “At this time, the Wyoming Department of Health says the risk of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) remains low in Wyoming. There have been no reported or suspected cases in the state, including on the UW campus.”
It may be important for all students of the University of Wyoming to protect themselves from the virus, while there is no vaccine, using these simple measures can help stop the spread of sickness throughout the campus. Students can wash their hands on a regular basis, avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth, stay home when sick, cover coughs and clean and disinfect objects touched regularly in the household.
