COVID-19 is a new strain of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome that originated in China. It is highly contagious and causes flu-like symptoms such as fever and shortness of breath.

What’s Going On?

Over the last few weeks, attempts to contain the virus have failed. COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization yesterday. A pandemic is a disease that affects the entire world. COVID-19 has infected over a thousand people here in America. It’s spreading to more and more people by the hour. There’s a good chance that it has reached the major city that’s closest to you.

People are scared about COVID-19 because it spreads quickly, there is no cure yet, and no one is immune. Many people are working from home. Large events are being canceled. Some parts of the world are effectively in full lockdown.

Am I in Danger?

The bad news: there’s a decent chance that you will be infected with COVID-19.

The good news: your risk of dying is extremely low. People ages 10-19 have a 0.2% probability of dying if they are infected by the virus. Most people experience mild symptoms, and a few don’t even realize they have it. COVID-19 feels like an intense flu. If you catch it, you’ll feel under the weather for a few days. Within two weeks, you’ll be back to normal.

COVID-19 is more dangerous for older folks, with the elderly being particularly vulnerable. You don’t want to spread the disease to them.

This situation is evolving rapidly. Plenty can be done to mitigate the virus, and the risks of it becoming a national epidemic cannot yet be precisely determined.

So while you should take common-sense measures to avoid catching and spreading COVID-19, you shouldn’t be scared. You’re going to be okay. There’s a good chance you won’t even get sick.

How to Avoid Infection

First and foremost, talk to your parents about COVID-19. They know what’s going on in your area and how to best protect you.

If you start developing flu-like symptoms, tell your parents immediately. They’ll decide if you should self-quarantine, which means you stay home and avoid contact with others until you get better.

Wash your hands throughout the day. Use soap and hot water, and wash for at least 20 seconds. Wash your hands after sneezing, coughing, or blowing your nose, after using the bathroom, and before preparing or eating food.

If you need to sneeze or cough, look away from others and cover your face with your elbow.

Impact on Tournaments

A few tournaments have already been canceled to keep debaters from unknowingly spreading the virus to each other. Most of the cancellations are for tournaments in or near major cities where COVID-19 is prevalent.

As of this morning, all national and regional tournaments are planned to continue. But as the virus spreads, that may change. You should prepare for the possibility that your national or regional tournament is postponed or canceled this year. If that happens, remember that the league officials really wanted to host the tournament. They’ll only cancel or postpone if they’re convinced it’s necessary to protect your health.

Our Promise to You

Fortunately, most of what Ace Peak does is online, which means we’re not impacted much by COVID-19. We’ll continue to offer sessions and monitor the situation as it develops.

If NITOC switches to an online tournament, Base Camp will go online, too. We’ll overhaul the format and schedule to make sure you can succeed.
If NITOC is canceled, Base Camp will be canceled and you’ll get a full refund.
If NITOC is postponed, so will Base Camp. You’ll have the option of keeping your spot in the camp at the new date or receive a full refund.

This is an uncertain time. We’re going to get through this by staying informed, working together, and using common sense. A few years from now, we’ll meet together at nationals and say: “Hey, remember that whole coronavirus thing? Man, that was crazy. Glad things are back to normal.”

Learn More

You can learn more about COVID-19 from the Centers for Disease Control.

If you have any questions, contact us here.

Here’s What Debaters Need to Know about the Coronavirus