Video: COVID-19 Why it Matters, Part 5—I’m young! Why should I care?

This video series features UW-Green Bay’s Immunologist Brian Merkel on COVID-19 and Why it Matters. This series empowers viewers with knowledge to help them navigate through the pandemic. In this video Prof. Merkel discusses how we can get back to the life we remember.

Merkel has a Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology from the Medical College of Virginia. He is an associate professor in UW-Green Bay’s Human Biology & Biology programs and has an appointment at the Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Microbiology and Immunology. He will be responding to a number of questions related to COVID19 and try to get behind the “why” it’s important to be educated in your decision-making as we navigate the pandemic together.

Video Transcript – COVID-19 Why it Matters, Part 5: I’m young! Why should I care?

Brian Merkel, Microbiology and Immunology, talking about why COVID-19 matters to you.

A big part of what we want to talk about is in terms of empowering you to be a part of this collective effort, to reduce the problem that is COVID-19.

We all want the economy to get back to where we want it to be. We all want to return to the lives that we used to know. So, even though you as a younger individual may have a lower risk in terms of disease and dying from COVID-19, you play a vital role in preventing the virus from being spread to someone else that have may have may have more dire consequences should they become infected.

And so, the more individuals that become infected that can’t handle the disease the greater the impact that’s going to have on the economy, The greater the burden that’s going to have on hospitals, and the harder it’s going to be for us to return to a life that we remembered before COVID-19 became a problem that it is.

So, related to all that we have to start thinking about how the virus is transmitted. This is generally thought as thought of as a respiratory disease. And what that means here is that the virus can contaminate surfaces so, we have to be mindful of washing our hands. The virus can be released when we exhale, when we sing, when we cough, when we sneeze. And the reason why those realities are important because that is the reason why we talk about face coverings. Those are the reasons why we talk about hand hygiene and keeping our hands clean. And the more we do that the greater and harder time we’re going to give the virus to continuing to infect other individuals.

And as more and more of us that do that while we wait for a vaccine, the quicker we’re going to get to be able to return to a life that we remember.

COVID-19 Why it Matters: Video Series Introduction with Brian Merkel https://youtu.be/M-yYPSPk30Q

Part 1: What are viruses and where did this one come from https://youtu.be/DYbiIv8ICgs

Part 2: Two main types of viruses https://youtu.be/O-OVk3rx96s

Part 3: Why is this virus serious? https://youtu.be/EDFyNN8i5G4

Part 4: Why wash hands/wear mask? https://youtu.be/FlcAvlt876Y

Part 5: I’m young! Why should I care? https://youtu.be/TDrEV_beY1U

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