Why does corona virus scare many people even with low death rate?

Corona virus from Wuhan, China has a low mortality rate, and most patients recover quickly. But below are the reasons given by experts to explain why it causes fear among people.

The mortality rate for new corona virus is lower than for SARS

The outbreak of a new corona virus has sparked fear and anxiety all over the world. The virus, originating in Wuhan, China, has infected more than 9,700 people and killed 213 people.

However, so far, this virus does not seem as deadly as SARS - killed 774 people from 2002 to 2003. SARS has a mortality rate of 9.6%, while only about 2% of people New corona virus infection has died. But, the number of people infected with corona virus after 1 month has exceeded the total number of patients in 8 months of SARS.

However, many patients with corona virus have recovered completely. According to Chinese officials, most of those who die are old or have other medical conditions, which damage their immune systems.

A passenger is being checked for temperature at Xianning North station in China.(REUTERS / Martin Pollard)

The reason for the new corana virus fear

Public health experts say that, for the majority of citizens outside China, excessive panic is unfounded , and of course has no effect on improving the situation. The public should take strong precautions to avoid getting the virus, but it is most effective to create a daily routine such as increasing hand washing and not touching your face.

Amira Roess, professor of global health and epidemiology at George Mason University, told Business Insider that fear will not stop the spread of the virus , but it can have negative effects. for the society. "Initially the spread of infectious disease, then the spread of panic , " Roess said. "And these two types of spread have very different mechanisms of action." Professor Roess said that in the early stages of an infectious disease outbreak, most of the panic ensued was due to lack of knowledge.

Psychological research shows that new and strange threats increase anxiety levels more often than familiar threats. And people tend to be less responsive to familiar threats.

For example, there is a one in seven chance that heart disease will be the cause of death for Americans, while the chances of them dying at the hands of a foreign terrorist are 1 in 45,808. But according to a 2016 Chapman University survey of US fears, "terrorist attacks on the nation" and "victims of terrorism" were both ranked among the top five types of anxiety among respondents.

Passengers in the departure hall of the bullet train station in Hong Kong.(Photo AP / Kin Cheung).

Consequences of panic

Citizens of Asian descent in France, Canada and the United States are deeply concerned about incidents related to overt racism, the main cause of which is the corona virus.

The Guardian reported that nearly 9,000 parents in Toronto signed a petition, not allowing students who have traveled to China in the past 17 days to go to school. One autographed volunteer expressed concern: "Don't eat wild animals and then infect those around you! Stop this. Stop yourself or go back to China and live!" ! "

The New York Times also reported that businesses across Hong Kong, South Korea and Vietnam had posted signs that said Chinese mainland customers were not welcome.

Meanwhile, Asian students at Arizona State University (ASU) - which have confirmed cases of corona virus infection in the US - said they were facing jokes and stares of unkindness. Italy and even isolated on campus. A Vietnamese-American student at ASU told Business Insider reporter Bryan Pietsch: " I just coughed in class and everyone turned to me with questioning eyes."

Positive things

Although the new corona virus is spreading fairly quickly, health experts also point to the positive factors that help people less worried about this new virus.

First, the virus was identified more quickly than ever . Just a week after it was discovered, the Chinese government solved the corona virus and shared information with laboratories around the world. Richard Martinello, associate professor of infectious diseases at Yale University School of Medicine said: "It is worth noting that within a week, the RNA chains of corona virus have appeared on the internet and many people can look and start learning about it ".

Second, a series of advances in medical technology since the corona virus was discovered in the 1960s have allowed clinical laboratories and virologists to conduct further research on how it works. of these viruses.

Shape of the corona virus.(BSIP / UIG via Getty Images)

Martinello also said that for people in the US, seasonal flu is at a much higher risk of death. At least 15 million Americans have had the flu in the past 4 months and 20,000 have died since October. The peak season of flu occurs from mid-December to February, so people still need to be cautious about dealing with the illness. flu again.

However, it is precisely because the flu appears so often that the public "despises" it. Martinello said he hopes that the new corona virus will make people more conscious of creating healthier habits like washing their hands and wearing masks, which in turn will reduce the incidence of the flu later.

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