Here’s a first taste of what it’ll look like… First things first, let’s talk about why this coronavirus outbreak is a pretty huge deal — and if you have any reluctant boomers in your family, here’s what you should tell them. COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus, meaning we’ve never seen it before. This makes it challenging for medical professionals to come up with treatments and a vaccine — none yet exist and no, Trump, you can’t treat or prevent it with a flu shot. The good news? The prognosis for a vaccine is excellent. Experts believe we could have one in 12-18 months. In the meantime, we should all follow the guidelines for proper hygiene and social distancing in order to limit the spread and flatten the curve. Don’t know what social distancing is? Here’s a primer from John Hopkins Medicine, and here’s artist Juan Delcan’s depiction of why it’s crucial:
Even better news: For the first time in human history we’re not facing this challenge alone. The age of artificial intelligence has given us a powerful ally in the form of automated testing and machine learning-powered insights for virologists and researchers building a vaccine. For now, avoid unwittingly spreading or contracting the virus by following this simple but effective mnemonic device, courtesy of Wu Tang Clan:
And while you’re reading up on the CDC’s report on Coronavirus Symptoms, we recommend Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers) to get the message stuck in your head. Don’t forget to subscribe here to keep receiving Coronavirus in Context!
Global estimated cases: 1.9 billion Global estimated deaths: 289,000
It’s interesting to see what kind of ~content~ is picking up speed these days — obviously, many social distancing memes. I haven’t seen it yet, but surely clean-fluencers should be having a moment? I’m going to do my part by recommending Mrs. Hinch. Honestly, if you haven’t heard of Mrs. Hinch by now, I don’t know what you’ve been doing. Sophie Hinchliffe is a housewife from Essex who became an Instagram sensation for posting incredibly soothing videos of her cleaning. That’s it, just cleaning.
She’s now got over 3M followers, multiple branding deals, a published book, and my heart forever. Give her a follow, and let her anti-bacterial goodness soothe your soul in these times of constant hand-washing. I’m also very unironically into the mindlessly grey vlogger aesthetic? Idk, my standards for entertainment are dropping. Until then, practice social distancing, and please don’t take advice from strangers on the internet. Instead, get up-to-date facts at the following official resources:
World Health Organization COVID-19 Q&A European Center for Disease Control and prevention facts on COVID-19 Center for Disease Control COVID-19 facts
Stay healthy and take care of each other, Tristan
