COVID-19 Has Been Around For Over A Year!

Have you heard about COVID-19 but don't want to wear a mask? Are you scared of corona but don't even know what it does to you? If you've asked something remotely similar to these questions, you should read this article. Even if you haven't asked yourself or someone else these questions, it would still be good to read this. I want coronavirus gone as soon as possible. It's holding everyone back from success!

First of all, yes, corona is dangerous. Wearing a mask will help prevent yourself from getting it. But some people don't wear masks. It's now the law in my area of the world to wear a mask if you're over five years old and have no medical conditions that don't let you wear one.

2.64 million people have died from coronavirus worldwide while I write this. While you read this post, however, the number is probably more. I have no estimate for what I think the number may be. You should search up something along the lines of 'Covid deaths so far,' after you read the rest of this post. 

But while the death rate is high, the recovery rate is soaring! It's, again, as I write this, at 67.5 million recoveries. The amount of hospitalizations in Canada isn't high though, but that's good. The highest we've been since the pandemic started was over 4,000, while the United States top number is nearly 130,000! I guess they're so united that they can't quarantine and stay apart! 

But what if you're wondering about whether you have it or not? If you have one of the following symptoms, I encourage you to book a covid test and quarantine yourself until you have your results. If the test is positive, then you have COVID-19 and should quarantine yourself until you have gone 14 days symptom free and possibly gotten a second covid test. 

Here some of the more common covid symptoms: a fever, a cough, shortness of breath, and extreme tiredness. These are only symptoms, however, if you don't know why you have them. For example, if you've been getting enough sleep and are in a good mood but still have extreme tiredness and unwillingness to move, then that could be a symptom. If you've been running recently, then the shortness of breath does not count. See what I mean? 

Maybe you've heard of the vaccine or are wondering about vaccines. Here's some information on them. 

Four vaccines have been approved to be used so far in Canada. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the Moderna vaccine, the AstraZeneca vaccine, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, also known as the Janssen vaccine. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 95% successful with preventing the virus and symptoms but you have to be 16 or older to get it. You must have two doses, each from 21 days to six weeks apart. The Moderna vaccine is for ages 18 and up and is 94% effective. It, too, needs two doses, each 28 days to six weeks apart. The AstraZeneca vaccine is 63% effective in preventing the symptoms of covid and you need to to be 18 or older to have it. You need two doses, each 4 to 12 weeks apart. And last, but not least, the Janssen vaccine. It's 64% successful, ages 18 and up, and requires just a single dose. Currently there are no vaccines for kids under 16 but the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are testing on kids 12 and older. 

If you are interesting in learning more about the vaccines then you may ask questions in the comments that I could research or you could just research it yourself. 

And lastly, I have one more topic on COVID-19. Variants. Currently there are three varients of covid, B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1. B.1.1.7 was discovered by the United Kingdom in the fall of 2020. It spreads faster than COVID-19 and the effects are stronger and worse. Scientists think that B.1.1.7 has a higher risk of death, but they aren't completely sure and are currently researching it. B.1.351 was first discovered in early October of 2020 in South Africa. It is closely related to B.1.1.7 and they have many similarities. And finally P.1. P.1 was discovered in Brazil in early January 2021. This varient has a additional set of mutations that makes it hard to be recognized by antibodies. You may be confused by the word antibodies like I was. Antibodies are the little proteins used by the immune system to find and get rid of viruses and bacteria, making it harder to fight P.1. 

Like always, following are some solutions that you can use to keep yourself and your family safe from COVID-19. 

  • Wear a face mask. Wearing a mask can prevent germs from seeping through your mouth and nose where they can infect you and make you sick. Wearing safety googles can also help prevent covid as it can infect through the eyes, but it is less common and the priority would be a mask. 
  • Socially distance. Keeping six feet or two meters between you and others can help prevent corona. Covid germs can't jump six feet from one person to the next, so you would be safe. 
  • Quarantine. If you don't need to go somewhere, don't. And if you've been in contact with someone who has tested positive for covid, quarantine yourself from others for the next 14 days. 
  • Don't travel. Going to other countries is a bad idea in these times. You can pick up more germs, and traveling is not something you NEED to do. You can wait until after covid is gone. 
Thanks for reading this week's blog post! If you've read all of them so far, then maybe think about following! As always, please share my blog with all your friends and PLEASE use all the solutions. They will help keep you safe. 

I hope you liked this post. It took a long time to write and a lot of research, but I learned a lot too and it really helped me. Learning more about something that scares you, like COVID-19, can really help you get over your fear. 

Thanks! Check back next week for another post! Together, we can change the world. 

-EarthLover24     

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