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The Coronavirus Pandemic - Is Life Getting Back to Normal? Part 1: Coronaviruses and COVID-19

 

 

by Kimberly LaVigne [3/23/21]

 

This is the first segment of a three-part series about coronaviruses-specifically COVID-19, testing methods used to move this nation forward, and several vaccines developed during Operation Warp Speed.

 

Part one focuses on coronaviruses in general that have recently affected the United States, and specifically the most recent, COVID-19. Part two of this series looks at the different test methods used throughout the past year, and part three will review several of the recently developed vaccines helping us get past this pandemic, and their delivery methods.

 

CORONAVIRUSES AND COVID-19

 

In 2020, COVID-19 became the third coronavirus to affect the United States. SARS from 2002-2003, and MERS from 2012-2013 were the first two. Yet, COVID-19, the third and more transmittable  of the three, quickly became a global pandemic. We are now a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, few people understand the current health crisis, and many have unanswered questions, like “What is COVID-19?”, “How long has this been around?”, “What tests and vaccines are available for me and my family, and are they safe?” Researching any topic is difficult at best, but with so many resources contradicting each other, how are we supposed to know fact from fiction? Things can be confusing, so let’s take a deeper look at COVID-19, current testing methods, and the vaccinations that are available.

 

            Coronaviruses were first discovered by Dr. June Almeida in 1964. She named them in 1967 for their unique halo spike of proteins, reminiscent of “a solar eclipse, during which the suns corona of gas streams become visible.” SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 is a type of coronavirus, that takes over your cells, reorganizes their chemical functions and forces them to only make other viruses. COVID-19 didn’t exist in human beings before 2019 before it was officially recognized by The World Health Organization (WHO). Since this latest coronavirus went global with devastating effects, scientists have worked tirelessly to quickly create testing methods and vaccinations to get things back to normal. Since COVID-19 has gone global with devastating effects, scientists have worked tirelessly to create testing methods and vaccinations to quickly move towards getting things back to normal.
 

COVID-19 Symptoms may include:

 

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

 

            Part two of this series will review the various testing methods used during the past year to help Americans move through and past this pandemic.

 

  1. Cynthia Gay. (2021/1/25). The Truth About Covid-19 Vaccines. UNC Health-talk. https://healthtalk.unchealthcare.org/the-truth-about-the-covid-19-vaccines/
  2. Carl Zimmer. (2021/2/26). The Secret Life of a Coronavirus. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/26/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-alive-dead.html/
  3. Side Effects. (2021). UNC Health Covid-19 Vaccine Hub. https://vaccine.unchealthcare.org/safety/side-effects/
  4. Answers to Your Questions About Covid-19 Testing. (2020/8/31). UNC Health-talk. https://healthtalk.unchealthcare.org/answers-to-your-questions-about-covid-19-testing/
  5. Information about the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine. Updated (2021/3/4). CDC 24/7: Saving Lives, Protecting People. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/pfizer-biontech.html
  6. Moderna. (2021/3/4). CDC 24/7: Saving Lives, Protecting People. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/moderna.html
  7. Johnson & Johnson Janssen. (2021/3/4). CDC 24/7: Saving Lives, Protecting People. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/janssen.html

 

            Evolved Cleaning Solutions is a commercial cleaning company that focuses on providing safe, healthy work environments for our customers. From our first day of cleaning in 2014, we have used the finest CDC preferred antivirals to keep our clientele healthy. During one of the most challenging health environments in recent U.S. history, we have strived to keep everyone well and productive.

 

WELCOME TO THE EVOLUTION!