Results: How Serious Is The Coronavirus?

The Coronavirus - previously unknown to science - is causing severe lung disease in China and has also been detected in other countries. More than 100 people are known to have died from the virus, which appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December. There are already more than 4,500 confirmed cases, and experts expect the number will keep rising. A new virus arriving on the scene, leaving patients with pneumonia, is always a worry and health officials around the world are on high alert. Are you personally concerned about this virus?

In Canada, there has been one confirmed case and one "presumptive" case (the wife of the confirmed case) so far, and in the U.S., there has been five confirmed cases -- all of these cases occurred in people who visited Wuhan in China. The low confirmed cases here have not affected the level of panic in the general public. Surgical face masks have been flying off the shelves, leaving stores in short supply. And according to doctors, these face masks do little to protect anyone from contacting the virus, and only protect the wearer from spreading their own germs in closed environments, like hospital waiting rooms. Even the N95 respirator mask, which is made of a thicker material and designed to fit more closely to the face, which is more effective at blocking viruses in general, needs to be fit tested, worn properly and replaced frequently -- making them inefficient for regular use by the public. If you are concerned about this virus, have you been wearing a face mask?

This outbreak mirrors the SARS outbreak scare back in 2002/2003, with nearly 8,098 reported cases and 774 deaths, according to WHO. That virus killed roughly one in 10 people who were infected. This outbreak of the Coronavirus appears to be more contagious than SARS — but less severe. Also, health officials seemed to have learned their lesson from SARS, and are working both more closely with the Chinese health officials and within their own systems to react quicker and contain cases faster. The fact is, according to health officials, the common flu is more likely to cause greater health risks. For example, in Canada we usually see about 3,500 flu deaths each year -- mostly among the elderly and those with compromised immunity systems. The best defence against both the Coronavirus and the flu is proper hygiene, especially frequent hand washing. Do you wash your hands frequently?

It seems the panic is leading to an increase in racism against the Chinese community. Since the virus originated in China, this news, combined with the fear of catching the virus, is resulting in many ignorant and racist statements aimed at Chinese communities. And as racist trolls often do, many are making these offensive statements online, protected by the anonymity their screens provide. It's sad that we have to be reminded that fear and panic are simply not an excuse to express racist beliefs. Have you seen any of these racist attacks, either on social media or in person?