Coronavirus Concerns Prompt Illinois State GeoBee To Move Online

ILLINOIS — The finalists of the Illinois State GeoBee were announced March 2, and the National Geographic Society also made the decision to cancel the in-person level of the Bee planned for March 27. All states are affected by the decision.

According to the GeoBee website, the decision was made to move online due to public health risks related to COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.

"We are doing this out of an abundance of caution regarding COVID-19, and in order to prioritize the health and safety of everyone who attends our events. We are committed to ensuring that this year's state GeoBee qualifiers have a safe and fair opportunity to compete that is consistent across the country," the National Geographic Society said.

State GeoBee qualifiers will take an online test on March 27, which will be administered and proctored by the school GeoBee coordinator or another paid school employee.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called SARS-Cov-2, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19, the illness caused by SARS-Cov-2, struck the U.S. on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.