In January of 2020, the United States declared the spread of COVID-19 a national emergency. In the weeks and months to follow, we saw the global spread of COVID-19 surge.
If we were to see a surge in individuals with COVID-19 like symptoms, who also tested negative for COVID-19, what would we need to investigate to determine if this is a new strain of COVID or a different virus?
What steps would you take in your thinking (metacognition), and how would it relate to the steps needed to follow the scientific method?