COVID-19
Contents
Overview
The COVID-19 virus (or novel coronavirus) is a highly contagious and unusually lethal pathogen whose spread across the globe has led the World Health Organization to declare it a pandemic. It originated in Wuhan, China in late 2019 and spread to Europe and the United States by early 2020.[1] It poses the greatest global public health risk since the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic.
This page reflects my attempt to make sense of the pandemic and how it has affected my life and community in Orange County, California.
Why It's Serious
Exponential Growth
Virulence
Novelty
Why You Should Be Personally Worried
Reopening America
Checklists, Guidelines, and Roadmaps
Why Social Distancing Matters
To understand the importance of social distancing measures, see this excellent Washington Post simulation:
Even if it only slows down the spread of the virus, this can be critical as it can help keep the medical system from being overwhelmed as it was in China and Italy. The goal is to "flatten the curve":
Forecasts
Data
- ↑ For a well documented timelines, see this NY Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-timeline.html
