The New England Journal of Medicine has published an editorial on Friday updating information about COVID-19. In their editorial the authors point out that the virus is structurally similar to the one that caused the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003.
While the reported mortality rate has been between 2% and 3%, the facts emerging suggest that a significant number of people may contract the illness without major symptoms. Certainly in some it may present itself as little more than a mild case of the sniffles. The underlying data suggest that the symptoms vary, and fewer than one in six of the cases reported were “severe.”
So, many cases of the illness may go unreported. It may turn out that this is little more than a severe case of seasonal influenza. Those with weak immune systems may be particularly at risk of serious illness. However, most cases will not be severe.
How difficult will it be to contain the spread of the illness? The authors note,
The ease of transmission is a concern. However, PDJT took strong actions early in the illness’s spread in China by placing travel restrictions. These were put in place over the objections of the Democrats. These restrictions have slowed the illness’s spread here in this country. These same Democrats now claim that PDJT is not doing enough to halt the spread of the illness. If it is seasonal, then the spread of the illness should drop off as the weather gets warmer.
As with any strain of influenza, outbreaks will pop up here and there around the country. At this point though, it certainly does not seem like that this is the Black Death as some leftists are claiming. It is something worth monitoring at this point but hardly worth getting into a panic over.