Coronavirus and Fossil Ridge: what you need to know

Since it was first identified late last year, coronavirus has captivated the minds of the American people as much as it has maintained a grip on communities around the world. In less than two months, the virus has reached 100,000 cases around the world and achieved status as a pandemic. As it has begun to establish itself in the United States, government and people alike have responded—while quarantines and cancellations have been instated across the nation, shortages and panic have spread. 

COVID-19 is a betacoronavirus, first introduced via animals in Wuhan, China. Not unlike the flu, it acts on the respiratory system, causing fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. According to the World Health Organization, each infected person passes on the virus to, on average, between two and 2.5 people, and the crude mortality rate is 3-4%. The virus is transmitted via droplets, contact, and contaminated surfaces.

As coronavirus cases begin to climb in Colorado, Etched in Stone aims to examine how exactly the virus will impact the local community, from the school itself to the whole of Larimer County, as well as dispel any misinformation that surrounds the topic.