I first heard about the Coronavirus in my microbiology class, sometime in early January. Before he started our lecture, he showed us a quick slide displaying statistics about this new virus that had appeared in China, quickly infecting more and more people by the way. At the time, I admit I wasn't fully paying attention, more focused on what I would have for lunch, or when I should start studying for my first test in the class.

I never thought two months later, I would get an email telling me that USF would be shut down for two weeks, and that the infection rates were getting so bad in Italy, they were running out of ICU beds.

With all the jokes and memes about people buying too much toilet paper, hand soap, hand sanitizer, etc, there is actually a huge problem when people decide to stock up on supplies like these, not leaving enough of them behind for people that might actually need them, like those who are sick and immunocompromised. When people panic and start taking measures which are extreme and unnecessary (for them), they are doing themselves and others a disservice.

At the same time, it's also not a great idea to simply shrug your shoulders and say "well, I'm young and healthy, and this only seems to affect old people, so I really don't need to worry at all".

While it is true that younger people with better immune system may not need to worry that the virus will kill them, that doesn't make the disease any less serious or worth taking note of. Those who complain that the media has overhyped this illness should keep in mind that it IS still more serious than the flu, and the fact that it's a novel virus with a long incubation period makes it even more important to keep track of and keep people informed about.

Because while the virus may just be like a bad flu if you get it, we need to avoid spreading it to those who are elderly, have compromised immune systems, or both.

So despite the fact that younger people with good immune systems do not need to wear face masks, buy 600 bottles of hand sanitizer, or start boarding up their houses, they do need to follow the advice given by the CDC and other medical professionals: wash your hands often throughout the day and avoid touching your face without clean hands (stuff everyone should honestly have been doing anyway).