Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared that all schools in Michigan K-12 are not going to be in session starting Monday, March 16 until April 6, 2020. COVID-19 has West students worried. Many students fear the virus  because it’s only a town away.  Others feel they are unlikely to get sick because they are young and healthy. The COVID-19 and the influenza flu have been taking over peoples’ immune systems throughout these past few months, causing people, states, countries, and airlines to all panic.  The virus has now had many West students panicking and becoming germaphobes because the virus has now reached Michigan.  We are here to ease worries and to teach you how to take care of yourself. 

The COVID-19 has a mix of symptoms, but the three main symptoms are coughing, fever, and shortness of breath. The main way that this virus spreads are through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Nurse Cathy Adsit, West’s school nurse, gave some advice for West students to prevent getting sick or passing something to other people other than washing your hands, “Don’t share food and drinks, cover your coughs, and stay home when you’re sick.”

I interviewed Natalie Yates and Kripa Patel (West seventh-graders) and they both agreed that they are not that worried that the virus is in Michigan because it mainly affects the elderly and infants and we, all West students, are all in between that age gap.

Some ways to protect yourself from the virus are to move away from a person when they sneeze. Remember to cover your mouth with your elbow when you sneeze or cough. You must wash your hands for at least 20 seconds to be effective. If water and soap are not accessible use hand sanitizer that’s at least 60% alcohol so it’s fully effective.

The coronavirus, or COVID-19, had its first outbreak in Wuhan, China in January 2020. After the outbreak from Wuhan, China people have been in panic everywhere, everything going in or out of China has been canceled, including lots of flights going through China, and out. Starting from March 12, 2020, President Trump has declared a ban on all European flights going in and out of America.