As the outbreak of COVID-19, commonly referred to as the coronavirus, spreads across the country, anyone can take basic steps to help avoid infection, just as they should with seasonal influenza.

University of Mississippi Medical Center infectious diseases experts and the World Health Organization (WHO) advise frequent hand-washing as a first line of defense. Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with soap and water as directed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or with a hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol to kill viruses that may be on your hands.

Chances are good that at some point, you’ve had some sort of coronavirus.

Chances are slim, however, that those living in Mississippi are at risk for the novel coronavirus strain making news headlines, a new coronavirus that’s the cause of a worldwide outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in late 2019 in Wuhan City in China’s Hubei Province.

When it comes to bringing computer science education to Mississippi’s public schools, C Spire is all in. We’ve invested millions. And just a few weeks ago, we began a grassroots movement called Mississippi’s Future Can’t Wait that has led to the upcoming House vote on a groundbreaking Computer Science Education Bill.

Mississippi legislators unanimously approved HB 1165, the computer science education bill, in the House Education Committee on March 3, clearing the way for the full House of Representatives to consider a vote on the legislation.

C Spire and the grassroots Mississippi’s Future Can’t Wait movement have championed the legislation authored by Rep. Richard Bennett, R-Long Beach. If passed into law, the bill would bring computer science education to all 884 public and charter schools in the state.

The Mississippi's Future Can’t Wait movement is spreading awareness of the need for computer science education in all of Mississippi’s public schools.

Currently, Mississippi is trailing its neighboring states in efforts to attract new, high-tech business, jobs and expansion because it does not teach computer science in all K-12 schools. The average salary for computing jobs is $72,039, almost double the statewide average.

Mississippi school superintendents gathered in Madison last week, ahead of a key legislative deadline of Tuesday, March 3, to show support for a bill that would bring computer science education to all 877 of the state’s public elementary and high schools.

“Computer science is as important in today’s world as reading, math and science proficiency,” said Dr. Phillip G. Burchfield, executive director of the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents. “It’s an integral part of our commitment and responsibility to prepare our students for the opportunities and challenges that they will face in a 21st century world that’s infused with technology.”