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Demon Debate: Should we actually be scared of the coronavirus?

Demon Debate: Should we actually be scared of the coronavirus?

Coronavirus is overhyped in the media

Lauren Briscoe

NSU Student

In today’s society, the power of the media is undeniable. Many take what is found in the media to be true, despite very little research.

One of the newest issues taking the media by storm is the coronavirus. Since the first case was confirmed in Wuhan, China, countries have been taken by storm with panic.

International travel is now questionable, Chinese buffets are struggling and hand sanitizer is flying off shelves everywhere. Is this virus as scary as the media is making it out to be? Quite honestly, no.

According to a Feb. 5 article on Forbes.com, 24,566 were infected, 493 died from the disease and 916 had recovered. With all these numbers, it is fair to assume that the virus is safer than the media portrays.

It is no surprise that this disease is being brought to the level of fear it has reached, though. If coronavirus were promoted as safer than what people think, individuals would not take the threat of this disease seriously.

Coronavirus hysteria causes people to be uber health conscious. People are walking the streets with surgical quality masks and the musical festival Coachella is in talks of being postponed, all because of the power and fear generated through the media.

Stop telling people to stop panicking

Thomas Celles

Viewpoints Editor

One of the most annoying things about politics is that when something serious becomes a political discussion, everyone automatically discounts it as being serious. This is the case with the coronavirus.

Democratic politicians are severely criticizing President Donald Trump’s performance while Republicans have called the entire thing a hoax. Stuck in the middle are American citizens who want to know whether they should buy every roll of toilet paper left at Walmart. 

To be completely fair, the administration’s performance when faced with this pandemic has been startlingly bad. While I sincerely doubt the coronavirus will be killing everyone, calling it a hoax is probably one of the worst hot takes I’ve seen.

Despite misleading figures which have circulated on social media, COVID-19 certainly isn’t comparable to the flu. It’s much worse.

First, the flu has been around for centuries. According to John Hopkins Medical Journal, we’ve all but become immune to the harshest symptoms of influenza. Further, we’ve developed vaccines that keep it pretty contained in most developed nations.

The mortality rate of the flu was less than 0.01% in 2019 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Further, it is not very infectious. Someone infected with the flu spreads the virus to 1.3 people on average.

On the other hand, COVID-19 is not near as tame. So far, the mortality rate is estimated by some to be as high as 4%. Amongst infected people older than age 65, the mortality rate is as high at 15%. This is compounded by the fact that the average infectee will transmit the virus to three other people.

There is also the fear of the unknown which factors into the caution of doctors and officials.

The coronavirus is much more dangerous and virulent than the flu to which it has been compared. While it might not be as deadly as Ebola or yellow fever, it most certainly is not “impeachment hoax 2.0” like some have tweeted.

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