The Coronavirus, as I'm sure you've all heard, is an growing epidemic sweeping through China at the moment. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is currently discussing whether this outbreak constitutes a global health emergency or not, with the infection being known to have already spread to 15 other countries. Researchers are desperately racing to develop a vaccine, but it is unlikely to be put in place before July at the earliest. There are currently c7,710 confirmed cases, yet luckily the death toll is still as low as 170, with only a 4% fatality rate. This epidemic does not have a vaccine yet due to the response to this emerging pathogen only starting after the outbreak began, which is not a proactive enough response.
However, there may be a problem of this outbreak resurfacing in a few years, with the pathogen potentially have developed, stopping the antigens in antibiotics from working. This idea of viruses adapting to stop antibiotics working is a growing problem at the moment, with pathogens mutating and developing drug resistance. Thankfully, there is much less widespread pathogen resistance to vaccines, as vaccines slow the rate of drug resistance arising and then spreading. So, with the coronavirus vaccine being developed, there is a much higher chance, once it is introduced, of it succeeding in wiping out the plague. Furthermore, as long as you wash your hands frequently, retain a healthy diet and get at least 8 hours of sleep a night, you will have a much lower likelihood of being infected if the virus is in your area. So do not worry, you should be safe for the near future!
