And The Last State With a Confirmed Coronavirus Case Is...

Coronavirus particle, illustration. Different strains of coronavirus are responsible for diseases such as the common cold, gastroenteritis and SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). A new coronavirus (2019-CoV) emerged in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The virus causes a mild respiratory illness that can develop into pneumonia and be fatal in some cases. The coronaviruses take their name from their crown (corona) of surface proteins, which are used to attach and penetrate their host cells. Once inside the cells, the particles use the cells’ machinery to make more copies of the virus.

Yesterday, West Virginia announced its first case of coronavirus. That means the virus is now in all 50 states.

So far, 18 states have reported at least one death as a result of the virus, including Illinois (160 confirmed cases, one death as of the writing of this post).

And it continues to spread . . . largely because it takes so long for people to show symptoms of the virus so they spread it without knowing it. A new study out of Columbia University found 86% of people with coronavirus don’t know they have it . . . that’s six out of seven people. And that’s what’s driving the spread of the outbreak.

Right now, everyone with the virus infects an estimate of two to 2.5 people according to the World Health Organization. To slow the spread, that needs to get down to just one.

And the social distancing we’re doing can help . . . but ultimately, it may not be enough. A research team out of the U.K. says we may need even stricter policies to keep the death toll in the U.S. from going over an estimated one million . . . and those policies could last 12 to 18 months. The President himself said in a recent presser that this current way of life we’re living right now could last well into the summer.

Right now, we’re all taking it day by day. Be safe, be smart, wash your hands.