The First Mosquito-Borne Virus Hits West Michigan

Remember the days when you heard about a virus and you took some aspirin or Tylenol or maybe some antibiotics.  It was no big deal.  Well those days are gone.  Now whenever the term "virus" is uttered when get a whole different feeling.

The question now is what kind of affect will less dangerous strains of viruses have in this new COVID-19 environment?  Will we be more susceptible to getting sicker if we already have a virus and then get the Coronavirus?  I know it's a long shot but, hey, this is 2020.

We may not have the answers to all our questions but we do know that the first mosquito-borne virus is here and it's not just a brush-off.  It's called the Jamestown Canyon virus and someone in Ottawa County has been infected.

It spreads through mosquito bites from late spring to early Fall and can last a few days or possibly 2 weeks.  The symptoms include fever, headache and fatigue.  Sound familiar?  In rare cases it can be severe with infection to the brain, encephalitis and meningitis.

So, here we are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and we've got another virus to worry about with similar symptoms.  What if it's Jamestown Canyon but you think it's Coronavirus, you can't get tested right away, you quarantine until you know and it's not COVID-19?

This is a strange time we live in right now with, I'm sure, many more circumstances like this.  We can't get a vaccine fast enough.  In the meantime, make sure you spray yourself with the bug spray and take all the other precautions.