Rumors abound, but the origin of the coronavirus is uncertain
By Ethan Phan II
November 17th was a gray, foggy day in Wuhan, China. The past couple weeks had boasted subtle winds, warm weather, and clear skies, and this particular Sunday marked the beginning of gloomier forecasts in the region. But no one could have predicted just how gloomy things were about to become.
On this same day, according to an article published by South China Morning Post almost five months later, a 55 year-old individual from Hubei province was recorded as carrying the first known case of what is now called “COVID-19,” or, more colloquially, “coronavirus.” Reports on this story are still mixed, however, and little can be said definitively about the origins of a virus that now wreaks havoc across national borders.
One of the few facts that scientists have been able to uncover and confirm is the original carrier of the virus: bats. According to NPR, horseshoe bats from the caves of Yunnan were confirmed in 2017 to have been the cause of the 2003 SARS outbreak. Scientists have found that 2019-nCoV and the coronavirus samples taken from these bats are 96% identical at a whole-genome level. After this, however, the facts become more obscure.
A quick look at science, however, debunks these “bat” claims: COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, which means that the virus is only transmitted through the air.
One question yet to be answered is how the virus initially spread to humans. Early reports suggested that a congested seafood market in central Wuhan was infested with COVID-19 and transmitted the disease to workers and customers, but later assessments contradicted this theory: 13 of the first 41 people recorded carrying the virus had no specific connection to the aforementioned market. A more informal theory states that the consumption of bats in certain parts of China initiated the spread of the virus among humans. A quick look at science, however, debunks these claims: COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, which means that the virus is only transmitted through the air—food-borne transmission is a nonfactor in its spread. Even if this were not the case, simply cooking your food thoroughly and properly should neutralize any dangerous bacteria or viruses, according to the FDA.
The most plausible way the virus could have reached humans is through animals that are in regular contact with people. Scientists have been looking at pangolins as the possible transmitters; there are many similarities between COVID-19 and coronaviruses found in this species. In addition, pangolins are common victims of illegal wildlife trading and often come in close contact with humans. It is important to remember that this is an estimation, however, and scientists and researchers are still far from locating the origin of the virus that has so affected communities on every continent save Antarctica.
Societies everywhere have undergone drastic changes in order to halt the spread of the virus and “flatten the curve,” a phrase anyone with a TV, phone, radio, or newspaper is familiar with. In Hyde Park, the southernmost neighborhood of Boston and the one with the highest rate of COVID-19, spring and sunny skies are becoming the community’s biggest foes. Newly-renovated tennis courts have been padlocked from public use, basketball hoops have been stripped bare of their red rims, and historic Camp Meigs has started to look less the pride and joy it once was for the community of Readville and more like the set of a post-apocalyptic movie. Empty Jamaican restaurants and Italian bacaros line Fairmount Avenue, a street once bustling with ardor and activity. Even fearless children riding their training-wheeled bicycles don baby blue surgical masks, seemingly taken straight from the ER. According to the experts, this complete turn-around of what had become daily life is the most effective method short of a vaccine in stopping the disease. The only way back to normal is anything but.
The effect of the virus in different countries has varied greatly and has been dependent on the actions and reactions of the specific country’s leaders and citizens. In the United States, the federal government has taken noticeable steps toward fighting the disease, most notably banning travelers from China, Europe, and Iran, halting immigration on the southern border, and implementing a 60-day freeze on green cards. But state and local governments’ approaches have been more varied: Vermont, a state which has just recently recorded 0 new cases for the first time in 7 weeks, is still under statewide lockdown, while some states such as Georgia and Mississippi have already reopened. But total lockdown also has different definitions in different parts of the country. For example, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis deemed professional wrestling (WWE) an “essential business,” a view not shared by the majority of the country outside of the Sunshine State. For context, the United States is the only country to have more than 1,000,000 confirmed cases of the disease. That’s 800,000 more cases than Spain, the next closest country.
Some countries have found success in their efforts toward tackling the disease. Vietnam, a country slightly bigger than the state of New Mexico with a population density 44 times greater, began taking national measures and tightening airport security after the first official coronavirus death occurred in Wuhan. By February 1st, the Vietnamese government had shut down all schools and implemented a national quarantine soon thereafter. Whenever someone was found to have contracted the disease, the government tracked their every move. A mix of early actions and strict measures helped this small nation, which shares a border with China, tame the deadly virus. To date, Vietnam has had 270 confirmed cases and 0 deaths. In comparison, New Mexico has had 3,213 confirmed cases and 112 deaths.
In these trying times, RL has truly shown what it means to be a school responsible for its world and responsive towards its community.
Expert opinions on how the virus will proceed are mixed. Some estimate that social distancing and self-quarantining will last for roughly one month after the “peak” of deaths in the 50 states, while others predict that the Class of 2021 will never experience a high school prom. The most extreme prediction has come from the White House, though, warning that social distancing could last up to 18 months.
Roxbury Latin has taken several major steps to deal with the effects of the disease on its faculty, staff, and student body. The cancellation of all school trips before March break, for example, proved to be a prudent decision. The daily schedule after break was also thrice modified to properly account for the needs of both students and teachers. Furthermore, fourth marking period grades will be adjusted and lightened where deemed necessary, and final exams will be significantly shorter. In these trying times, RL has truly shown what it means to be a school responsible for its world and responsive towards its community.
