This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically. A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
A beloved member of the Gay Men's Chorus of South Florida has died due to complications of the novel coronavirus, the executive director of the chorus announced Friday.
"It is tough to know that Florida's death toll from the Coronavirus has climbed to 23 and one of them is a dear man I knew and who was a member of the Gay Men's Chorus of South Florida," Mark Kent said.
"I am usually not public about personal pain, but I share this in the hope that it helps more people take this epidemic seriously."
George "Skip" Panse is remembered for his passion for music, sense of humor and dedication to his community.
Bill Spinosa, a member of the choir, says Panse's death should reminder for other to take the virus seriously, because cases are not just numbers.
“Every time you see a number, it’s someone’s mother. It’s someone’s father. Somebody’s brother,” Spinosa said. “It’s amazing and because people are dying alone in hospitals in the ICU, it’s even more devastating because there's nobody there to hold their hand.”
