Editor's Note: On Friday, March 6, Emerald City Comic Con wrote on Twitter that it would be rescheduling to Summer 2020. This comes after major comic book companies and more than 50 artists and vendors said they would not be attending due to the coronavirus situation in the Seattle area.
Original story below.
Emerald City Comic Con will go on, according to the event's Twitter page, despite King County, and thus Seattle, declaring a state of emergency following deaths statewide and a rising number of confirmed cases.
The deaths are largely connected to a possible outbreak in a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington.
However, the death toll continues to climb as does the number of confirmed cases. Several Washington schools closed in an effort to sanitize and deep clean.
Emerald City Comic Con took to Twitter on March 1 to confirm that the Comic Con will take place on March 12 - March 15 as planned.
Emerald City said it will be adhering to the recommendations set forth in the EPA's Emerging Pathogen Policy in terms of sanitizing for the show. It also said it working closely with the Washing Suburban Sanitation Commission to keep things clean.
It also posted this message about coronavirus on its website:
But creators and artists alike have shared concerns over the spread of coronavirus in Seattle and whether or not they will be making the trip:
But many artists, especially those who freelance, feel they do not have a choice but to attend Emerald City Comic Con because they have already sunk revenue into prints and merch to sell and count of the profits from this con to pay their bills.
With that in mind, it's important not to panic. The vast majority of people who contract COVID-19 will display minor symptoms and will recover. If you are at a risk for complications with the flu you are likely at risk for complications with COVID-19 and should consult your physician.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID-19 but they are not severe enough that you would not normally seek out medical help, health officials are saying to stay home and quarantine yourself until you are feeling better.
As we head into con season, remember to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, get a good night's rest, hydrate, and don't shake hands with strangers. Con-goers know that the sickness that comes after a con, dubbed con crud, is real, so make sure you are taking care of yourself again con crud and anything else.
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Destiny Johnson is a digital reporter at KGW. She is also your mom friend and she's worried about you. She hosts a show on YouTube about comics and pop culture which you can check out here. You can scream into the internet void with her on Twitter by following @hello_destiny.