Many people who live in nursing homes pay through the government program Medicaid, which pays less than Medicare or regular insurance companies. In June, many American nursing homes were caught throwing their regular patients out so they could make room for COVID-19 patients who could pay them more. Because nursing homes had stopped allowing visitors, it took longer for them to get caught. United States law requires nursing homes to warn patients 30 days before kicking them out, but the nursing homes did not do this.
Some of the nursing homes took the COVID-19 patients because state governments asked them to and they say they sent their elderly residents away because they were worried they would catch COVID-19 from the sick patients.
Because so many governments told people to stay at home, there was less air pollution than usual for that time of year. Pollution in New York fell by 50% and the use of coal in China fell by 40%. The European Space Agency showed pictures taken from a satellite of China's pollution disappearing during quarantine and coming back when everyone went back to work.
The pandemic and shutdowns made people use less electricity. In the United States, people got less of their electricity from coal power but kept using gas and renewable power like wind and solar power. This was because coal plants are more expensive to run, so power companies used them less.
Pollution from before the pandemic also affected what happened after people became sick. Scientists saw that more people died from COVID-19 in places with large amounts of air pollution. One team of scientists from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg looked at air pollution information from satellites and statistics on COVID-19 deaths in Italy, France, Germany and Spain and saw that places with large amounts of nitrogen dioxide pollution had more people die from COVID-19. Nitrogen dioxide can damage the lungs.
The shutdowns and social distancing also affected animals. Human beings started staying at home about the same time in the spring when sea turtles like to come on land to lay their eggs. Turtle scientists in the United States and Thailand both reported more nests than usual on seashores in Florida and Phuket. They say it is because people are not coming to the beach or bringing their dogs to the beach and because there are fewer boats in the water nearby. Scientists also say they see more dugong and dolphins. With fewer cars driving down roads, salamanders, frogs, and other amphibians were able to cross them for their spring migration. According to citizen scientists from Big Night Maine, a group that watches amphibians, four amphibians made it across the roads alive for every one amphibian killed by cars. Most years, it is only two to one.
Not all ocean mammals did well. According to marine biologists in Florida, manatee deaths in April and May were 20% higher than in 2019. They say this was because many people decided to go boating because other things to do were closed.
Researchers from the San Diego Zoo Global had the idea for a system that people could use to find dangerous germs before they become pandemics or even before they jump from other animals to humans. They said it was important to watch the wildlife trade, like in the Wuhan wet market. The scientists said that over the past eleven years it has gotten easier and easier to sequence viral genomes, and it does not have to be done by a large lab or by a government any more. The scientists said it would be better to spread the work out among more people.
Avoiding traveling and staying home will greatly reduce your risk from catching COVID-19. Staying home doesn't apply if one is sick and needs medical care. Get enough rest and stay hydrated. Wearing a mask and washing your hands can prevent the virus from spreading. Masks should not be placed on children under 2 years of age, people who have trouble breathing, have a respiratory or other medical condition which renders one unable to wear a mask safely, or anyone who is unable to remove the mask without help. Covering coughs and sneezes also reduce the risk of spreading the virus, but one can infect someone else by touching things with coughed/sneezed-in hands. Making sure not to share drinking glasses, cups and particularly other objects which people will drink or eat out of is important if one assumes they are infected or tested positive in the past. Washing eating utensils and other oral eating objects is preferable and cleaning surfaces or possessions which have been repeatedly touched is also important. These include, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, phones, remote controls, counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables. Avoiding touching your face, nose, or mouth with your hands. Avoiding public transportation, taxis or taking rides with others can stop one's exposure to the virus. Rumors spread about high doses of Vitamin C preventing COVID-19, but these as of October 14, 2020, there has been no conclusive evidence to support this idea. However, there has been evidence pointing to the fact that dosing patients with Vitamin C, either through mouth or IV can reduce time on mechanical ventilators for seriously ill patients by 14%.Drinking tea such as black tea and green tea can inhibit the virus. Staying home for the holidays, having a small gathering of close friends and family members who are consistently taking measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and celebrating virtually through social media can prevent being infected by the virus. Airports, bus stations, train stations, public transport, gas stations, and rest stops are all places travelers can be exposed to catching the virus. Eating a healthy diet that is high in fruits and vegetables, getting rest and sleep, exercising, consuming raw honey, probiotics, garlic, mushrooms and elderberry can boost the immune system. Playing video games to pass time during quarantine can prevent the virus from spreading. Flavanols and proanthocyanidins which are chemicals found in dark chocolate, grapes and green tea may block SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Places you are most likely to catch the virus are churches, hair and nail salons, cruise ships, hospitals and the doctor’s office, restaurants and bars, theaters, sporting events, concert venues, buses, restrooms, elevators, the gym, airplanes, hotels, public swimming pools, nightclubs and the beach. Vaccinated people still need to wear a mask. Flying in a private jet can prevent the spread of coronavirus. Smoking marijuana and tobacco can further damage your lungs. Getting vaccinated can prevent new virus strains.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA coronavirus which causes the disease COVID-19. It used to be known as 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The virus started the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak. The first suspected cases were reported to the WHO on December 31, 2019.
Many early cases of this new coronavirus were linked to Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, a large seafood and animal market in Wuhan, China. The virus may have come from infected animals. It is not certain that this place was the source of the pandemic.