A Virus on the Rise

Image courtesy of CDC.gov

Image courtesy of CDC.gov

Amelia Payne, Staff Writer

As the weather becomes colder, there has been an increase in coronavirus cases around the world. This spike has been impacting young and old alike as schools reconsider in-person classes and many others have to self isolate in the hopes of reducing the risk of catching and spreading the virus. In places such as Canada, police are increasing their restrictions on large gatherings to help stop the spread. CNN says that “Across the country, public health experts say Canadians are having too many close, social contacts between family and friends and young people are gathering in groups that are too large to contain the spread”. Canada’s daily case average hovers near 1,000; officials in Canada hope to lower this number as the Northern Hemisphere enters the winter months.

Delhi, India has also seen a spike in cases as well as an increase in pollution in the city. India has the second-largest caseload in the world with a “national tally [that] continues to hover between 40,000-50,000” (BBC), behind only the United States. The city has contacted the government for more patient beds as the hospitals in the cities become overcrowded. On the other hand, Brazil has surpassed six million cases- the third country to do so. In response to the rising cases and panic within the country, President Jair Bolsnaro calmly reports “we will all die one day” (CNN). This remark remains concerning, to say the least, as the country hits spikes in cases and deaths this past week. With 51,922 cases on the 28th of the month and 24,486 cases on the 29th, there is hope that Brazil will continue to abide by Covid regulations to continue to decrease cases (Wiki). The US also sees spikes in cases across the country, with cases on the 28th reaching 151,247 and cases on the 29th reaching 136,313. 

 

Hopefully, now that winter is here, many will choose to stay inside to stop the spread. Just as the common cold is more prominent in the colder months, scientists believe that Covid will increase similarly. Now that Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas is on its way, more and more people are concerned about the restrictions on visiting family and what it will mean for the virus caseload. Despite the holidays, CDC and other restrictions should continue to be followed if the world ever wants to catch a break from the coronavirus.