For my final passion blog of the semester, I will be talking about the current state of the spread of the coronavirus and possible outlooks for the future. Globally, there have now been over one and a half million cases recorded. This is followed by about eighty eight thousand deaths worldwide. Currently, the United States has by far the most cases out of any country on the planet, nearly tripling the number of the next highest country, Spain. After Spain is Italy, France, Germany, and China. However, the United States is only third on the list of deaths, preceded by Italy and Spain.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2020%2F04%2F02%2Fcoronavirus-live-updates.html&psig=AOvVaw1zwAukYo-XGHFQMDs3AF3P&ust=1586471029982000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAQQjB1qFwoTCICWoqPv2egCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

In the US, the hardest hit state by far has been New York. On Monday, New York state set a one-day record of 731 deaths from COVID-19. However, at the same time, New York’s overwhelmed hospital emergency rooms have started to see a drop in new coronavirus patients, with the three-day average falling from a peak of 1,294 late last week to 529. Admissions to intensive care units decreased more dramatically, from a three-day average of 395 last week to 89 on Monday.

Some experts believe that this statistic shows that the efforts that are being made to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus are working. Social distancing and staying at home likely played a major part in this decrease in New York COVID-19 cases.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usnews.com%2Fnews%2Ftop-news%2Farticles%2F2020-04-07%2Fnew-york-state-overtakes-italy-has-coronavirus-cases-second-only-to-spain-reuters-tally&psig=AOvVaw2o-42HFLDsTR5yAaacjnaL&ust=1586471072987000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAQQjB1qFwoTCOjylLrv2egCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

One important concept this brings up is that of a peak. The peak of coronavirus in any area, whether a city, state, or country, signifies when the spread of the virus is at its worst. Many people search for this in order to know when the current situation will begin to get better, and things will be able to start slowly going back to the way they were. So far, for most locations across the globe, the situation has only been getting worse and worse. Yet, this possibility of a peak in New York in the near future provides a ray of hope. This is now encouraging many other states to look ahead and try to determine when their “peak” will be.

Peaks for the different states depend on several factors, including population, population density, social distancing restrictions, and many others. Data from npr.org estimates the date of this peak for each of the fifty states. These dates range from March 31st to April 30th. The locations that have already peaked are Delaware, D.C., Vermont, Washington, Colorado, and Louisiana. New York is estimated to peak tomorrow, April 9th. Some of the last states to peak will be South Dakota, Rhode Island, and Wyoming.

 

Personally, all of these dates surprised me, as it seemed like there was no end in sight to this pandemic. If I would have guessed before doing research, I would have estimated these peaks to be occurring in May at the absolute earliest, with some possibly going into the summer. While this data is promising, it is certainly no reason to take any fewer precautions. More than ever, it is very highly recommended to avoid any social situations and to follow all government provided recommendations in order to get rid of this virus even sooner. These upcoming peaks show the progress we have made by working as one. Every person can do their part to help minimize the damage of this natural disaster.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Fnation%2F2020%2F03%2F31%2Fus-coronavirus-deaths-could-peak-mid-april-restrictions-states%2F5100513002%2F&psig=AOvVaw0_H3AHG4a5NcaqEIaYd75E&ust=1586471120867000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCLCpvM7v2egCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAi

One very serious problem that is facing hospitals and health care workers amidst this pandemic is the shortage of materials such as masks, gowns, and ventilators. Ventilators are an absolute necessity in order to keep some of those infected with the virus alive. If the virus continues to spread, the current supply of ventilators will be no where near enough to meet the demand for them. This would result in a large loss of life that could have been prevented simply if there were more ventilators produced. The same goes for masks, gowns, and other types of PPE, or personal protective equipment. These objects are vital in ensuring that people with the virus spread it as little as possible. This is especially important to doctors and nurses who are surrounded by infected people around the clock for days on end. They are at the highest risk due to their prolonged exposure, so this protection is even more necessary. The problem is that no locations were prepared for an event of this magnitude, so every single hospital very quickly realized they would need to obtain this protection as quickly as possible.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fmasks-run-short-as-coronavirus-spreads-11582829321&psig=AOvVaw0bjPLk5yBr0faAe3_AO4cZ&ust=1585861992805000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCND28LmSyOgCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

Luckily, to meet the rising need, many companies have committed to helping produce these vital products. Major companies are currently adjusting their manufacturing in order to make machinery like ventilators that will help fight the coronavirus. Some of these companies include Tesla, General Motors, Ford, and countless other companies that previously produced any type of metal machinery that could somehow be altered to manufacture ventilators to be used by the sick. These companies are producing as quickly as possible to meet the growing demands by states like New York and New Jersey, who have 74,427 and 18,696 cases respectively.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2020%2Fmar%2F27%2Fhow-ventilators-work-and-why-they-are-so-important-in-saving-people-with-coronavirus&psig=AOvVaw2ye-E8ONPBUQMvS6SbJKdD&ust=1585862033966000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAQQjB1qFwoTCLCR-MySyOgCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

Similarly, many companies that previously made fashion and clothing products are now altering their manufacturing to produce masks and gowns. Some of these companies include Dior, Burberry, Gucci, Nordstrom, Armani, Louis Vuitton, and many more. Many of these companies are partnering together, making commitments to produce millions upon millions of masks, gowns, overalls, and any other product that may be necessary to minimize the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Another one of these companies is Fanatics, which is based in Pennsylvania. Fanatics is the top provider to the MLB of jerseys, hats, and other baseball merchandise. However, due to recent demand, they have halted this production completely in order to help meet the drastic needs caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/coronavirus-mlb-jersey-provider-fanatics-creating-masks-and-gowns-for-medical-workers/

It is admirable to see all of these companies working tirelessly to provide protection to people that are currently struggling. These companies are surely losing profits by lowering production of their usual products. In addition, there are countless employees of these companies that are working ridiculous hours to try to meet the seemingly infinite demand. These people and companies know that they must take necessary steps in order to minimize the damage that this pandemic is able to do, so that we can get back to our normal lives as quickly as possible.