 Coronavirus is impacting every single one of our lives in some shape or form. From malls to movies to even parks. Homeschool is what everyone has resorted to so kids can get an education. We can't go to these places without having a risk of getting the COVID-19 virus. This virus is also known as the “coronavirus”. The pandemic is widely spreading even after everyone is in quarantine. There are over 81,000 cases in the US alone.
The virus started in Wuhan China and has reached global proportions. Because of this everybody has to take close measures to make sure they don't get it. Thus leading to all of the schools,public places, and most shops have closed down. That also means minimizing contact with people. Avoid public transportation whenever possible, limit not needed travel, work from home and skip social gatherings. Definitely do not go to crowded bars and sporting arenas. The COVID-19 virus causes cough, fever, tiredness, and sometimes difficulty breathing in severe cases. Some of the major groups that coronavirus hits are smokers,elderly,and very young children. It is a serious thing and is not something to be reckoned with. If you have ANY of these symptoms you should immediately see a doctor. Precautions should be taken as much as possible so you don’t catch it. This means washing your hands more often, Taking showers more, using hand sanitizer, and watching where you go. The COVID-19 virus is spreading rapidly and it takes 14 days to see any symptoms. So if you are cautious you’ll be fine but if you don't take these in those 14 days you might have some side effects. Story by Jasper Grein Source 1) https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/19/coronavirus-effect-economy-life-society-analysis-covid-135579 Source 2) https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/coronavirus-update-03-13 Source 3) https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/coronavirus-usa  The coronavirus, or COVID-19 as it is now scientifically known, is considered one of the worst pandemics in modern history. Besides the toll it has had on human health and life, it has had a variety of negative impacts such as economic downfall, social disengagement, and political disagreements. However, there is actually an upside to the coronavirus. Due to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 with many people quarantined in their homes, and the economy and industry basically shutting down, the environment has been impacted in positive ways.
According to interestingengineering.com, “One of the main impacts of the coronavirus outbreak has been a significant drop in air pollution in many parts of the world.” Many industrial countries like the United States or China have seen substantially fewer emissions from fossil fuel-powered vehicles and industrial plants. There are no people driving their cars; there are no airplanes flying in the sky. According to satellite data from NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), the amount of polluting gases like nitrogen dioxide has decreased significantly. Also, since industries are shut down, there is less electricity being used by major factories and corporations. Fewer buildings have their lights on because just about everyone is at home. Also, with fewer people in places like universities and corporate office buildings, energy usage should go down between 25% and 30%. Much electricity comes from fossil fuel-powered power plants. The amount of coal used in China has dropped by 36% since the start of the coronavirus. With fewer emissions in the air, the air is cleaner and clearer. According to Deseret News, “Emissions data shows cleaner air over nearly every major metro area in the world.” Another positive effect of the coronavirus on the environment is that the water is clearer and less polluted in cities like Venice, Italy. With everyone quarantined, there are no boats in the canals so the pollution in the dirt at the bottom is not getting stirred up. “As a consequence, the normally polluted waters of the canals are clearer than at any time many locals can remember,” according to France24.com. With no boats on the waters, there is no pollution being added to the already polluted water in Venice. According to Venice resident Serguei Michtchenk, "The canal is definitely clearer, you just have to look at the canal when water is very calm. There are no boats, there is no traffic. Definitely, it is cleaner.” Since people are stuck at home, more animals are coming into urban areas and people’s back yards. In Wales, United Kingdom, herds of goats are going into the city. More people are seeing deer and foxes come into the city. According to euronews, “This government-imposed lockdown is indeed conducive to animals changing their habits to venture out.” Most people see wildlife, but there is a lot more of it since there are fewer people outside. People in cities and towns all over the world are hearing more birdsong. In Peru, where there are normally thousands of people on the beach of Auga Dulce, the beach is now taken over by thousands of birds! Although lots of bad things have happened due to this pandemic, it is good to know that there are some positive effects. These effects may seem short-lived, but hopefully, after the pandemic, we can start to develop better habits for the environment. One wonders what positive environmental changes we have yet to come. Story by Tate Lloyd  The start of spring is different all around the world and is therefore celebrated differently. Let's take a look at how different cultures celebrate the start of spring.
Thailand - In Thailand a few days after spring begins they have the Songkran Water Festival. The festival's festivities include going to montasaries, visiting elders, and throwing water. The word Songkran stems from the word Samkrānti which is all about transformation and change. Traditionally people would sprinkle a small amount of water on eachother bless and wash away sins but now the tradition also includes huge water fights. India - In India a festival full of color kicks off spring. The festival Holi happens once a year at the beginning of spring for a full day and night. During the festival people throw colored powder made from traditional Ayurvedic healing herbs at each other. Throwing the vibrant colored powders represents spring and also goes back to Hindi mythology. Canada - The tulip festival is one of the few spring traditions not rooted in religion. In May every year the canadian tulip festival happens in Ottawa. The festival is a symbol of friendship with the Netherlands, a sign of thanks for providing safe transport for the dutch royal family during World War II. During the festival tulips are everywhere along with music, performances, and food from all over the world. Central Asia - Nowruz translated from persian means “the new day” and is celebrated yearly on spring equinox which is the start of the Iranian calendar. During the multi-day celebration of Nowruz, people clean their houses and remember family members. The 13 day celebration hypes up and includes dancing, music, bonfires, and food. Bulgaria - Baba Marta is a celebration different from any other. On march first people give each other woven red and white figures called martenitsa. The people wear their martenitsa underneath their clothing until they see the first blooms of spring and once they see a bloom they hang them in trees to recognize the coming of spring. Baba Marta translates to Granny March and is who the bulgarian holiday celebrates. As you can see the many spring traditions vary in many ways, but all welcome spring with open arms. Story by Stella Coffey Cites: https://www.ef.edu/blog/language/8-best-spring-traditions-around-world/ https://www.thecultureist.com/2014/05/01/5-spring-celebrations-around-world/ https://matadornetwork.com/bnt/rites-of-passage-spring-equinox-rituals-around-the-world/  The coronavirus. The global pandemic that has taken a hold on everyone’s lives. It started in China in November and has now spread across the entire world, with around 360,000 cases worldwide, 30,000 of those in the US. It is a virus similar to the flu, causing respiratory problems. It has caused businesses to shut down, schools to close, and historic economic declines, along with people being ordered not to see each other and stay inside their homes. One of the most dangerous things about the virus is how little we know about it, but the biggest question on people’s minds is; When will the virus end?
According to The New York Times, the virus can only be stopped by harsh steps, the most important of which is limiting contact with people and staying at home. China, the first country the virus appeared in, has just now started to recover and see a decrease in cases. The first cases appeared there in November. If we follow the same procedures that China did to limit the spread of the virus, that means that the outbreak will see an end sometime around June or July. According to The Boston Globe, the peak of the virus is only a few weeks away in Boston, one of the most heavily influenced cities in the country. BBC says that even if we see a decrease in cases, the virus will still be prevalent for a long time, possibly years. So, what can you do to prevent the spread of the virus? The two main precautions that a single person can take are washing your hands and staying at home to avoid large groups of people. In people with stronger immune systems, that virus can infect you without you feeling any effects of it, which makes it possible to spread the disease to people with weaker immune systems. The virus can also stay in your system for a full fourteen days without you knowing it. That means that everyone that you came in contact with in that fourteen day period could also have it, and everyone that they know could also have it. That's why the best option for preventing the disease is to stay at home. Story by Maddie Tate  I’m sure we are all aware of the world-wide pandemic that is happening right now, the coronavirus. The coronavirus spreads via person to person contact. This can happen when people are within 6 feet of each other or when a person coughs or sneezes and the water drops from their respiratory systems make it into yours. This can happen in two ways, the first one is the drops get onto your skin and you touch your face, specifically your eyes, nose, and mouth because these are your primary nasal passages. The second one is if you breathe in the drops and they just go straight into your own lungs/respiratory system. With that being said, since the coronavirus has just been upgraded to a pandemic which means it now affects the whole world, please take extra precautions to stay safe. Other than that, since it is affecting the whole world this also means the stock market. Don’t understand? Let me explain.
The stock market according to The Balance “...works like an auction where investors buy and sell shares of stocks; These are a small piece of ownership of a public corporation.” From that, it is just a way for people to make money or lose it by bidding on other peoples’ companies. The stock market rises and falls for many reasons and can vary with many different situations, feelings are one of those. Feelings affect the stock market in so many ways. If people are confident in the future, the stock market will typically go up. The only bad thing about the feelings is that if people are uncertain and not confident then the stock market will go down because people will not want to buy if they don’t know what will happen to their money in the future. Many other things affect it too, things like inflation. Inflation is how much money is worth, like money in 1911 was worth much more than money is in 2020. On the relation of uncertainty in the stock market, let me explain the effect the coronavirus is having on our stock market. For example, if people are getting laid off because of the virus then they are not getting new cars. If this happens the value of the car company will go down thus possibly bringing the stock price of the car company too. Notice how I didn't say will I said possibly will. This is important, like I said before, feelings play such an important role in the stock market. By doing so another way the virus is affecting the market is the uncertainty. This was already a problem but it is now worse because all the money you wanted to invest or have already invested is now in the shaky hands of this world-wide pandemic. See how that could make someone nervous? The coronavirus has affected the stock market in a mostly negative way. So far, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has dropped 24.8%. Story by Hadley Wallace 
Story by Sydney Dickson Not everyone lives how we do, big cities, apartments, jobs and all the “normal stuff”. Some people still live like we did back when we were hunters and gatherers. There are also many different cultures throughout the world and one of the most interesting and different is Huli Culture. The Huli Clan lives in the Southern Highlands Papa New Guinea. They regard themselves as the descendants of a Male ancestor called Huli. Huli is the first man to garden on the Huli lands. The Huli culture is full of color, rituals, and deep culture.   In the new year, there has been quite a scare about the Corona Virus (now named COVID-19, and for the remainder of the article we will refer to it as the COVID Virus). But the questions lots of people are asking is how does it compare to the Influenza (which for the sake of my fingers we will call the flue.) First, let’s start with the flu. For the flu, we will use the 2018-2019 numbers. In 2018 an estimated 16.5 million illnesses alone, shocking 33,000 deaths so far. This is all according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Once again according to the CDC flu symptoms can include a fever, a cough, a sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, muscle/body aches, headaches and fatigue (extreme tiredness). Now let’s talk about how the flu spreads, people with the flu can spread it to others up to 6 feet away. Experts believe the flu is spread by tiny droplets made when people cough, sneeze or talk while they have the flu. These droplets can land on the skin or in the noses or mouths of people who are nearby, they could possibly also be inhaled into the lungs. Less often, someone might get the flu by touching a surface where the flu virus has been on. People who have the flu are in their most contagious state during their first few days having the virus. Children or people with weaker immune systems can be contagious for longer periods of time. The flu can be contagious before symptoms kick in, symptoms on average begin around 2 days after the virus enters the body. The virus is still contagious in that ‘no symptoms’ stage.
Now let’s talk about the ever-so-feared COVID virus. The symptoms of the COVID virus range from mild fevers to severe illness and hospitalization. The main few symptoms are fever, coughing, and lack of breath. According to Gisan data’s live map, there have been 82,550 confirmed cases of the COVID virus. There have been 2,810 deaths. But one factor that is commonly overlooked is that 33,252 of the cases have recovered. This means that around ~40% of the confirmed cases have recovered, but also only ~3% of the people who have got it have died. If we compare the ~3% death rate of the COVID virus to the ~.4% death rate of the flu. However, these numbers do have a very big difference in the number of recorded cases. This means that the COVID virus is technically more lethal. But considering fewer people overall have got it. Now into how the COVID virus spreads, the virus spreads in largely the same way of the flu. It spreads by little droplets created when the person sneezes or coughs. So now I’m here to answer the question: should you really be afraid of the COVID virus? The answer: yes and no. See, the thing is scientists don't know how hugely widespread the virus will go. Also considering that the virus is new, we don't know what kind of mutations could come off of it. But going back to the number only around 3% of the people with the COVID virus die. The COVID virus and the flu are two similar yet different sicknesses. They both spread the same way and have similar symptoms. But really from what we have seen the flu is worse. It has many more cases of it being fatal. But the COVID virus shouldn’t be overlooked. The virus is new so we don't know what will come from it weather it will mutate or just die down in a few months, only time will tell. Story by Aidan McCloud  Officers in Hong Kong stop a middle-aged woman because of the strange way she was walking around. When they searched her they found vials of blood stashed in her bra, each vial was labeled with a pregnant woman’s name. Lots of other people trying to cross the border with blood samples on their person have been caught, including children. More recently, in February 2019, a 12-year-old girl was stopped at Luohu port, another entry point into Hong Kong, with 142 blood samples hidden in her backpack. China's Population and Family Planning Law banned gender testing in 2002, to prevent a widening of the country's gender imbalance. In this country of 1.4 billion people, men outnumbered women by 32.7 million at the end of 2017, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Under China's one-child policy, which limited parents to one child sex-selective abortions became widespread in the hope of securing a son. (Many families still attach importance to the idea of having a son to carry the family’s name.) Online agents also posted articles highlighting the benefits of having sons, for example, mentioning that a woman was given 100,000 yuan from her father-in-law after tests confirmed her baby was a boy.
From 1970 to 2017, this prevented 12 million girls from being born, according to a study published in May by National University of Singapore researchers. The policy against having multiple children was partially scrapped in 2015, but many parents still forgo having more than one child because of the cost involved. To get around the local ban on sex testing, some couples started sending blood samples across the border, into Hong Kong. This is illegal, with China's National Health and Family Planning Commission issuing a notice in 2017 banning the export of human blood. Some Chinese women are desperate to find out whether their child will be a boy or a girl so they turn to the intermediates who offer to transport the samples across the border into Hong Kong. Even though the law prevents sex testing, women, and men, will go out of their way, even if it means breaking the law. Hong Kong only requires an import permit for blood samples suspected to contain an infectious agent. The Post identified 111 accounts on China’s Twitter-like microblogging platform Weibo set up since 2015 to offer Y chromosome DNA testing services in Hong Kong. Males typically have X and Y sex chromosomes, while females have two X chromosomes. An ultrasound test can only identify the sex of a fetus about five months into gestation. Among the agent accounts found online, 52 were set up in 2016, increasing from 29 in 2017. According to some of the online advertisements, the tests, priced from 3,000 yuan ($445) to 4,000 yuan ($520), have a high accuracy rate ranging from 99.4% to 99.99% for women five to seven weeks into their pregnancy. Even though the export of human blood in China is illigal, Hong Kong allows the importation of blood samples, provided they are not suspected of containing infectious agents and as long as a permit is secured, a spokeswoman from the city's Department of Health told CNN via email. Since 2015, the department has referred three cases involving laboratories conducting prenatal blood testing to the board for investigation, but all were dismissed due to insufficient evidence. Story by Lily Severance  I know you’ve all seen the widespread disease that is sweeping the world. The coronavirus. It started in China and has quite quickly moved onto cruise ships and planes and crossed over into the United States territory, but this virus is affecting so many other places too. So far America, China, Europe, Italy, Iran, and South Korea have had cases of the disease and others too. Many states in the U.S. have taken early precautions for safety. For example the governor of New York City has taken and set aside $40 million to prepare for the possible infections. A long with two european hotels that have been put on lockdown after some of the guests tested positive for the virus. A third hotel was also on lockdown for several hours but then was lifted.
An Australian ski resort was also put on lockdown when an Italian employee tested positive for the virus. Other places also had guests from Italy who tested positive as well. It is also said that the infected Italians had recently visited near the Lombardy area of the country. Many doctors and researchers have stated that ways to prevent getting the virus include, avoiding close contact with people that are sick, avoiding touching the eyes, mouth, and nose, coughing into a tissue or your elbow, and wearing a facemask if needed. One of the biggest things to do to help prevent catching it is washing your hands and disinfecting places that are commonly touched by multiple people. It is also said that there is no specific cure for the virus yet. Researchers have found that the way it spreads is from person to person and spreads also by contact with surfaces. Some symptoms for this virus are having a fever, a cough, and having shortness of breath. The CDC says that these symptoms may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Also the scientific name that it’s been given is COVID-19. According to the CDC this wording means “‘CO’ stands for ‘corona,’ ‘VI’ for ‘virus,’ and ‘D’ for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as “2019 novel coronavirus” or “2019-nCoV.” Trump has also currently but Vice President Mike Pence in charge of telling the public the updates and responses to the virus. Along with this so far there have been over 60 cases of the virus but none of them fatal yet. Story by Hadley Wallace |
