The coronavirus is, without a doubt, a growing epidemic, but the flu is what you should really be worried about. The United States has only experienced 11 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, most of which are in the Midwest. 

According to the Guardian, most of the people who have died of the Coronavirus already had weakened immune systems. They also say that the virus, although it has been spread to various countries, is not spreading very much within those countries. 

90% of Bob Jones students receive their news about the virus from social media such as Twitter, Tiktok, and Instagram rather than turning to better sources, such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to get their information about the virus. Sophomore Brooke Heath admitted that “social media tends to over exaggerate situations and only publicize the worst of the worst.”

Several students have already acknowledged that the coronavirus isn’t a worry for them. Sophomore Perri Larkin stated that she’s not worried because the virus “targets immune systems” and therefore is not a matter of life or death for the majority of us who don’t have compromised immune systems.

There are still students that are convinced the coronavirus is a bigger threat than the flu. Ashlee Sunderman claimed that she feared the virus because “[she is] educated about just how difficult it is to treat and prevent. I spent 20 minutes today in Huntsville Hospital talking about procedure for a coronavirus patient. It was complicated enough to stop us for twenty whole minutes and did not once mention treatment because this extremely high-level emergency room can’t actually treat it effectively.” 

Sophomore Katie Tanner, however, acknowledged that the main reason for people being panicked about the new virus is that it is “new and there is little to no research on it.” Our doctors need time to come up with solutions to this problem. We don’t expect an architect to design a house in a day, and the same principle should be applied to our researchers. Our doctors are trying their best to come up with vaccines and cures, but we can’t expect it to be done overnight. 

As for now, medical professionals and world leaders have kept a good grip on keeping the virus contained, and we need to focus on taking precautions against the flu, which has killed 25,000 people in the past four months.

According to the CDC, the “single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get vaccinated,” but other healthy tips include avoiding those who are sick, washing your hands regularly, and frequently disinfecting surfaces that are often touched by many different hands.

The coronavirus is scary, no doubt, but please don’t let a distant threat distract you from a danger that is much closer to home.