Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in a dark attic of a building located in the city of Bonn (Germany), supposedly on December 16th, 1770. 

Music was not something alien in that home, where there was a piano, a father (Johann van Beethoven) who worked as tenor for a trusted man of Emperor Joseph II and his grandfather who had become an orchestra conductor at the court of Flanders.

Beethoven's house

Ludwig's mother, Maria Magdalena Keverich, widow of a court footman before marrying Johann, not only had to take care of her children and her husband, but also her own mother, with alcohol problems and psychic imbalances. Only an iron will of which Ludwig was heir, prevented his mother from bowing to his destiny.

Son of an impoverished family, at the age of 4, Ludwig was forced by his father to practice piano. In those years music was an occupation that with good luck could help them to eat.

Maria Magdalena Keverich (Beethoven's mother)

For some families, having a child prodigy was like a safe conduct to overcome misery. That is how at 8 years old, Ludwig first appeared in public as a pianist in Cologne. However, to make him more attractive, his father said he was only 6 years old. This is how Ludwig received a lot of applause at his first concert. At 9, Bonn already appreciated him as a very good organist.

In 1787, Beethoven obtained a scholarship, and with the assurance that his parents and siblings would not stop eating, he went to Vienna, the cradle of all European musicians. There, Amadeus Mozart listened to Beethoven play the piano and commented that "the young musician would give a lot to talk about."

Vienna city

However, a few weeks after being in the Austrian capital, he received news that his mother had become ill, and at just 17 years old, Beethoven was forced to return to Bonn to accompany her in her last moments and check how her father fell into the alcohol.

He then enrolled at the University of Bonn and became an inveterate reader. He was not only dedicated to classical literacy from Homer to Shakespeare, but to the themes of his time under the gaze of Goethe and Schiller.

University of Bonn

A special scholarship sent Beethoven back to Vienna to study with Franz Joseph Haydn. In 1796, a tour took him to Nuremberg, Prague, Dresden and Berlin where he dazzled the court of Frederick William II of Prussia, who was moved to tears when he heard his Sonatas for piano 1 and 2, opus 5.

The Viennese high society at the same time that celebrated him as a composer and pianist, they forgave his bad character and abrupt manners, which were usual theme in the meetings of the time. There was also a rumor circulating that on his return from Berlin, he had visited an ear specialist.

Franz Joseph Haydn

After several years of deceptive medical care with hopes of improvement whose healing could take years, today it is known that Beethoven's deafness was due to an otosclerosis, a disease that consists in the development of a porous bone inside the ear, easily curable in our days. The doctors at the time believed that the problem was due to a stomach condition that the musician had contracted in Bonn.

By 1803 Beethoven's influence had already reached maturity and splendor. This is how he developed in all its fullness the forms of musical classicism and at the same time connect it with a new sensibility that was spreading throughout Europe: the romanticism.

                               

In those silent years, his creation touched the genius. In 1824 in his Ninth Symphony, opus 25, called Coral, he reached the maximum transgression: to unite the human voice to the symphonic genre. And despite the pain and loneliness, he did it with Schiller Ode to Joy.

On December 1st, 1826, Beethoven became ill thinking it was a passing flu. But it was about dropsy so he had to undergo four operations to remove water from his belly; He suffered from liver cirrhosis.

Beethoven premiered his 9th Symphony on May 7th, 1824 in Vienna

On March 26th, 1827, at 17:45 hrs, Beethoven quoted Cesar Augusto: "Applaud friends, the comedy is over," was his way of saying goodbye. Around 20,000 people accompanied their remains in the city of Vienna.

Ludwig van Beethoven funeral

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Chilean pianist Claudio Arrau performs Ludwig van Beethoven's Concerto No. 5 for piano and orchestra (in E flat major - Op.73), in a free concert held at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago de Chile.

With Victor Tevah conducting the Symphony Orchestra of the University of Chile.

This presentation was made in front of an audience of 5,000 people gathered inside the cathedral and another 6,000 people listening through special speakers installed outside the temple in the rain.

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This audiobook in Spanish narrates the life and work of this musical genius.

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An Ode to Joy - Beethoven 9th Symphony flashmob at Placa de Sant Roc. By Orquestra Simfonica del Valles. Sponsored by Banc de Sabadell (May 2012).

                     

The Chinese regime would hide the true number of COVID-19 cases

The Chinese Communist Party has deliberately masked the total number of COVID-19 cases in China in an attempt to safeguard its image both domestically and internationally, according to experts in China and according to evidence documented by The Epoch Times.

* The Epoch Times is the Spanish edition of the international newspaper Da Jiyuan or Epoch Times (its name in English). The Epoch Times is an independent voice expressed in print and online. With a network of local journalists worldwide, The Epoch Times is the most widely distributed independent newspaper in the world, with publications in 35 countries and 21 languages.

As more countries voiced anger and frustration at Beijing's failed handling of the virus, fueled by a powerful cover-up, half a dozen experts told The Epoch Times that the regime is undeniably reporting the cases of the virus, but what is under debate is to what extent they are reporting it.

Beijing itself publicly admitted that it concealed the number of people with the disease when it announced that it would start reporting cases of asymptomatic carriers on April 1st, revealing that it had not been doing so. The Chinese National Health Commission also acknowledged that asymptomatic carriers can infect others and cause outbreaks, which they had previously ruled out. 

John R. Mills, former director of Cybersecurity Policy, Strategy and International Affairs at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, said the recent claims by the regime of no new case in China are "patently absurd" and added that in totalitarian bureaucracies "Everyone learns very quickly to stop reporting."

The regime is expelling China-based American journalists who work for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, highlighting the country's appalling record on press freedom. China is 177th out of 180 on the 2019 World Press Freedom Index for Reporters Without Borders.

"Bad things happen to people who report bad numbers," Mills said of China. “In these systems and forms of government, everyone learns that in order to survive, the norm is to lie. Everyone lies to everyone about everything, there is no truth. "

In the past three months, the number of Chinese cell phone users has dropped by 21 million, suggesting that deaths from the CCP virus may have been a factor. Since September 1st, 2010, China has required all cell phone users to register phones with their real identification.

In China's Shandong province alone, the new daily infection numbers were up to 52 times higher than data officially released by the Shandong Health Commission and the China National Health Commission. Information provided by Wuhan residents also indicates that the death toll there could be more than 32,000, which represents 12.7 times the official figure.

Mills said that while no government or leader can act perfectly in a complex and fast-moving situation like the current pandemic, which has forced more than 1.5 billion people worldwide to remain in their homes, the CCP is deliberately consistent in its obfuscation and lies. He added that there has been little or no good faith, cooperation or diligence in the CCP's search for truth.

The truth: The biggest obstacle

Yang Jianli, a Chinese dissident and the son of a former Communist Party leader who now heads the Citizen Power Initiatives for China, a pro-democracy NGO in the United States, said minimizing cases is crucial to Beijing's "broader goal of leadership and global domination ”.

"The truth about COVID-19 within China is the biggest obstacle to ambition [by Chinese leader Xi Jinping]," Yang told The Epoch Times. "As long as Xi is seen as successful, there is little room to challenge his rule.

However, if that assessment changed, it is not difficult to imagine spiteful party members and angry people; Independent intellectuals, dissidents, and ordinary people, try to unite in an effort to challenge him. ”

Yang agrees with UK advisers who say China's cases are likely to be downplayed by a factor of 15 to 40 and urged the international community to "hold the CCP accountable."

Scientific advisers warned the UK Prime Minister that official statistics on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus could be "downplayed by a factor of 15 to 40 times" and that Downing Street believes that Beijing is trying to exploit the pandemic for financial gain, as reported by The Mail on March 28th. The Epoch Times contacted press office Number 10, but a spokesman declined to comment.

Movie theaters in China slowly reopened with the CCP's permission, until last week, when authorities suddenly changed course and ordered all theaters to return to shutdown mode. Meanwhile, medical professionals in Spain and the Czech Republic reported that rapid tests for CCP viruses imported from China failed 70 to 80 percent of the time.

"The CCP, which for years has claimed to be a responsible member of the global community, once again showed its true nature when this crisis hit," said Yang. "If the CCP gets away with it, or worse, if it really wins worldwide applause for its actions, then no country will feel the need to be honest with the world if it is considered that being honest is politically disadvantageous."

Chinese officials and the state media have tried to blame the regime's failure to contain the virus by pushing conspiracy theories directed at the United States as part of an aggressive global disinformation campaign.

The CCP bots have been invading Twitter to defend the communist regime, attack the United States, and repeat propaganda along with Chinese officials. China's open influence accounts have published "more than 32,000 COVID-19 related posts on various western social media platforms," ​​according to a recent report by cybersecurity company Insikt Group.

Yang warned that if left unchecked, an emboldened CCP "will become more aggressive externally and repressive internally, having learned that it can deceive and intimidate the world into submission."

The Epoch Times has documented stories of some Chinese citizens, including whistleblowing doctors, citizen journalists, academics and businessmen, who have been silenced by the regime for exposing the truth.

Joseph Bosco, a former China desk official in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, told The Epoch Times that the regime is evading and repressing the truth about the virus, as most other things do, "to preserve the myth of the competence and infallibility of the CCP ”.

In the past few days, thousands of ash urns have been delivered to a funeral home in Wuhan, prompting questions about the true scale of the outbreak and its severity. Photos of the long lines circulated on Chinese social media before they were immediately removed by regime censors, The Epoch Times previously reported.

"It is clear that for Xi, political self-preservation is more important than the lives that can be saved, in China and around the world, through accurate media coverage," Yang added.

A totalitarian regime

Frank Gaffney, vice chairman of the Committee on Present Danger: China, told The Epoch Times that Beijing has done a masterful job of hiding the truth and deflecting blame.

"This is the kind of thing totalitarians do, and I think [China] will be considered an outcast when the general public, not just in China, but beyond, adequately understands the role the Chinese government has been playing and how large of the damage that has been caused worldwide as a result, ”he said.

Gaffney, who was undersecretary of defense for international security policy during the Reagan administration, said that anyone who believes that the CCP's claims in any area are "making a terrible mistake."

"It would be folly to trust the Chinese in anything, particularly when they lie about their statistics, whether it's the effects of the disease or, in other cases, the impact on their gross domestic product," he said. "I think everything they tell you should be treated with intense skepticism, if not utter disbelief."

A source in China told The Epoch Times in January that public health authorities were trying to cover up the severity of the virus by limiting the number of diagnostic kits sent to Wuhan hospitals.

The Epoch Times has also spoken to Chinese residents who complained of being rejected from hospitals and were undiagnosed. Many of these people later died as a result.

United States and China

The global pandemic has raised broader concerns about the United States' relationship with China.

"It certainly seems to me that a general reconsideration of the kind of engagement we have had with China up to this point is not only overdue but absolutely mandatory," Gaffney said. "I think more and more Americans feel that way."

Author and China expert Gordon Chang said the CCP is trying to "give the impression that China has recovered" as part of a deeper battle with the West. He believes that China is being hit by a second wave of infections or has never recovered from the first.

"They are relentlessly promoting the line that China's system is superior to that of the United States," Chang told The Epoch Times. "Furthermore, Beijing has launched into the attack by pushing the notion that the United States is in decline."

"Almost everyone in China knows that the coronavirus still plagues the country. And soon the rest of the world will know, too, ”Chang said. "The lies and falsehoods of the regime will not last long. The virus has the last word. "

Dr. Deborah Birx, response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, suggested in a March 31st briefing that the US response was slow due to flawed data from China.

"When you looked at the data from China originally... you start to think of this more like SARS [severe acute respiratory syndrome] than a global pandemic," he said.

"The medical community interpreted the Chinese data as if this was serious, but smaller than anyone expected," Birx said. "Because we were probably (...) missing a significant amount of data."

Source: La Gran Epoca 

The report that explains how the Chinese regime allowed the coronavirus to become a pandemic

A study by researchers at the University of Southampton suggests that the number of COVID-19 cases in that country may have dropped 86 percent if the first steps had been taken. Reporters Without Borders, meanwhile, explained how the process of silencing was to those who warned about the outbreak of the deadly flu.

The head of the Chinese regime, Xi Jinping, inspecting the coronavirus prevention and control
work in the Anhuali Community in Beijing. His government prevented the rapid communication
of the outbreak that was taking place in Wuhan. On the contrary, he censured and punished
those who spoke of a new virus (Reuters)

In a report released in the last hours, the organization Reporters Without Borders (RWB) shows how, without the control and censorship imposed by the authorities of the Chinese regime, the local media could have informed the citizenry -the main victim- much earlier on the severity of the coronavirus epidemic, thus saving thousands of lives and avoiding, perhaps, the current pandemic.

In an analysis published on March 13th, researchers from the University of Southampton suggest that the number of cases of COVID-19 in China could have been reduced by 86% if the first measures, taken on January 20th, had been implemented two weeks before. Based on what happened in the first days of the crisis, RWB highlights that, without the control and censorship imposed by the authorities, the Chinese media would have informed the public long before the seriousness of the epidemic, saving thousands of lives and possibly avoiding the current pandemic.

For example, Beijing forced the social network WeChat - the Chinese regime-controlled WhatsApp - to suppress keywords that alluded to the flu outbreak as the government reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) about the appearance of pneumonia of unknown origin. Indeed, the origin had already been identified. The authorities took valuable weeks to transmit information about the new virus and the significant number of cases related to the Wuhan market. "If the authorities had not hidden from the media the existence of an epidemic outbreak linked to a very popular market, the public would have stopped visiting this place long before its official closure, on January 1st," says RWB.

The censorship was such that it even had as its first victims Chinese doctors and nurses who wanted to alert the population and those responsible for the regime's health system about a new SARS-like virus that annihilated people from pneumonia. To the renowned case of the doctor Li Wenliang, for example, those of Dr. Lu Xiaohong, head of gastroenterology at the Wuhan City Hospital, who since December 25th he could have publicized his suspicions that the virus could be transmitted between humans.

Proof that reporting the danger meant exposing yourself to retaliation from the regime, five days later, the director of the Wuhan Central Hospital emergency department, Ai Fen, alerted to a "SARS-like coronavirus." She and her colleagues were arrested four days later for spreading "false rumors." Chinese censorship then affected the ability of the rest of the planet to cope with what was becoming a pandemic.

"If the international media had had full access to information that the Chinese authorities had on the scale of the epidemic before January 13th, it is likely that the international community would have assessed the crisis and anticipated it better, reducing the risk that the epidemic will spread outside of China and, possibly, preventing its transformation into a pandemic, "concludes the NGO.

Reporters Without Borders listed the most sensitive episodes that marked the blockade of information by Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party (PCC) to its population, before and during the expansion of the outbreak of COVID-19. If they had provided accurate information without concealment, the people of Wuhan would have taken other measures first and then the rest of the world. Especially the scientific community that received several days overdue key data on how the new Chinese strain was composed.

October 18th 2019

The Chinese press may have reported the chilling results of a pandemic drill.

The John Hopkins Center for Health Safety, in association with the World Economic Forum and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, conducts a coronavirus pandemic drill on October 18th, 2019 and alerts the international community to the chilling results: 65 million deaths in 18 months. If the Chinese internet was not isolated by an elaborate electronic censorship system and the media were not forced to follow the instructions of the Communist Party, the public and authorities would no doubt have been interested in this information from the United States, which was made echo of the 2003 SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic. SARS infected 8,000 people and caused more than 800 deaths, mainly in China.

December 20th 2019

Wuhan City authorities could have reportedly told reporters.

One month after the first documented case, Wuhan City already has 60 patients with unknown SARS-like pneumonia; several of them have frequented the Huanan fish market. Despite the situation, the authorities do not consider it convenient to communicate this information to the media. If the authorities had not concealed from the media the existence of an outbreak linked to a very popular market, the public would have stopped visiting this place long before its official closure on January 1st.

December 25th 2019

Dr. Lu Xiaohong could have expressed his fears to the press.

On December 25th, Dr. Lu Xiaohong, chief of gastroenterology at Wuhan City Hospital No. 5, begins to learn of cases of infection affecting medical personnel and suspects from the first week of January that the infection may be transmitted between humans. If journalists' sources in China were not exposed to severe penalties -ranging from professional reprimand to prison terms- Dr. Lu Xiaohong would have assumed the responsibility of alerting the media, forcing the authorities to take action that did not happen until three weeks later.

December 30th 2019

The media reportedly collected the early warning from the complainants.

The director of the emergency department of Wuhan Central Hospital, Ai Fen, and a group of doctors issue an alert about a "SARS-like coronavirus". Eight of them, including Dr. Li Wenliang, who later died of the disease, will be detained by Wuhan police on January 3rd for circulating "false rumors". If the press and social networks had been able to freely disseminate the information provided by the complainants on December 30th, the public would have realized the danger and would have pressured the authorities to take measures to limit the spread of the virus.

December 31st 2019

Social media reportedly broadcast the official alert in China.

China officially alerts the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31st, but at the same time forces the WeChat discussion platform to censor a large number of keywords that refer to the epidemic. Uncensored, the WeChat social network, which has 1 billion active users in China, could have allowed journalists to broadcast reports and precautionary statements that contribute to better compliance with standards recommended by health authorities.

January 05th 2020

Scientific means would have previously sequenced the coronavirus genome.

Professor Zhang Yongzhen's team at the Shanghai Clinical Public Health Center manages to sequence the virus on January 5th, but authorities appear reluctant to release the genome. On January 11th, the day China confirms its first death from the virus, researchers leak information on open source platforms, resulting in the punitive closure of their laboratory. If the Chinese authorities were transparent, they would have immediately reported the coronavirus genome sequence to the scientific media, saving the international community precious time in their research for the development of a vaccine.

January 13th 2020

The international community would have anticipated the risk of a pandemic.

The first case of coronavirus infection outside of China, a tourist from Wuhan, is reported in Thailand. If the international media had had full access to the information that the Chinese authorities had on the scale of the epidemic before January 13th, it is likely that the international community would have assessed the crisis and anticipated it better, reducing the risk of the epidemic spreading outside of China and possibly preventing its transformation into a pandemic.

Source: Infobae

China would be hiding the true numbers of the Coronavirus

March 22nd, 2020

The Japanese media assure that the regime stopped testing for COVID-19, for example, it does not register more infected in Wuhan, epicenter of the outbreak.

Days ago, the world celebrated the news that China had "flattened the curve" reflecting few or no new cases of COVID-19 in Wuhan, where the outbreak was born. However, the Japanese media Apple Daily HK and 47 news denounced that this is one more lie of the Xi Jinping regime: there are no cases because they are no longer testing.

According to these reports, China has stopped testing for the coronavirus and therefore there are no "new" local cases.

The regime has been grim in its reporting on the Wuhan-based virus from the beginning. China not only lied about the outbreak, but also "disappeared" the doctors and other health experts working on it and alerted the world to what they knew.

Trump himself yesterday lashed out at Xi Jinping and rebuked him for hiding information. The President of the United States accused China of withholding information. “I wish he had told us earlier what was happening inside. We didn't know until it was published, "Trump said at a news conference with the White House coronavirus task force, which is led by Vice President Mike Pence.

According to the American, if they had known in advance they could have sought a solution and regretted that China has been "very reserved" in this regard.

Due to its lack of transparency, Beijing subjected its population to the exposure of the deadly virus and now, that their deaths number in the thousands, it tried to counter the criticism arguing that there was a conspiracy against it. The main victims of this type of concealment were the inhabitants of Wuhan, who were not warned in time by the authorities, who permanently lied about the numbers and the seriousness of the case. It was not until January 22nd, more than three months after the start of the pandemic, that they decided to totally isolate the population of that city to do so later in the province of Hubei.

The complaints against the regime began to infuriate the population, after details of how the Chinese Communist Party tied up the doctors who had warned about the dangerous outbreak that reminded them of the SARS that hit the same country in 2002. The highest point of the outrage was born when the death of the doctor Li Wenliang was known, who had sent a notice by chat to his colleagues last December 30th and a few days later the police made him sign a commitment that he would stop " make comments that disturbed public order ”. On February 6th, finally, he died infected with COVID-19.

"People in China have lived under government censorship for many years, but now many people are questioning how censorship could have delayed effective action on the virus outbreak and put many lives at risk," noted a recent campaign by International Amnesty.

Now, the regime is trying to show itself to the world as the pioneer in the fight, after the world press condemned the actions of Xi Jinping, who tried to hide the deadly outbreak.

The pandemic of the new coronavirus exceeded 300,000 contagions and 13,000 deaths this Sunday, according to the global balance updated to this by Johns Hopkins University.

The virus has spread to 171 countries and territories, leaving behind a total of approximately 316,652 infections and 13,598 deaths, according to figures updated to date. On the other hand, the number of people who have been cured of Covid-19 amounts to 94,176.

Source: INFOBAE

Chile could declare vessels in quarantine due to Coronavirus

Chile could leave merchant ships or cruises in quarantine to present suspected cases of Coronavirus (Covid-19), as detailed by the Regional Ministerial Secretary of Health of Valparaíso, Francisco Alvarez.

Alvarez participated in a multi-sectoral Emergency Operational Committee at Valparaiso City Government, an opportunity in which the different protocols that the Government has put into practice to deal with the disease, recently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

Alvarez, regarding maritime transport, indicated that “regarding vessels, for example, if a suspicious case arrives, we will know it well in advance. Along with the maritime declaration that declares whether a sick person is coming or not, we are also reviewing the affidavit, we are in contact with the agencies as well as in coordination with someone from the Navy.

"Indeed, if there is a vessel that arrives with a suspicious case, we have to confirm or rule out that this suspicious case is or not Covid-19. In the case that it is Covid-19, we can even leave a ship in quarantine", emphasized the Valparaiso health authority.

Source: Portal Portuario

Coronavirus: What is it, symptoms, contagion, prevention and more

What is a coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are an extensive family of viruses that can cause disease in both animals and humans. In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections that can range from the common cold to more serious diseases such as the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes COVID-19 coronavirus disease.

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. Both the new virus and the disease were unknown before the outbreak broke out in Wuhan (China) in December 2019.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness and dry cough. Some patients may have pains, nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and appear gradually. Some people become infected but do not develop any symptoms and are not feeling bad. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without the need for any special treatment. About 1 in 6 people who get COVID-19 develop a serious illness and have trouble breathing. Older people and those with underlying medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop a serious illness. Around 2% of people who have contracted the disease have died. People who have a fever, cough and shortness of breath should seek medical attention.

                                              Link to: Coronavirus Live Map

How is COVID-19 spread?

A person can get COVID-19 by contact with another who is infected by the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through the droplets from the nose or mouth that are dismissed when an infected person coughs or exhales. These droplets fall on the objects and surfaces surrounding the person, so that other people can contract COVID-19 if they touch these objects or surfaces and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth. They can also be spread if they inhale the droplets that a person with COVID-19 has spread while coughing or exhaling. That is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick.

Can the virus that causes COVID-19 be transmitted through the air?

Studies conducted to date suggest that the virus that causes COVID-19 is transmitted mainly by contact with respiratory droplets, rather than by air.

Is it possible to get COVID-19 from contact with the feces of a person suffering from the disease?

The risk of contracting COVID-19 by contact with the feces of an infected person appears to be low. Although initial investigations suggest that the virus may be present in some cases in feces, the spread by this route is not one of the characteristic features of the outbreak.

What can I do to protect myself and prevent the spread of the disease?

Take care of your health and protect others through the following measures:

Wash your hands thoroughly and often using an alcohol-based disinfectant or soap and water.

Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based disinfectant kills viruses that may be in your hands.

Keep a minimum distance of 1 meter (3 feet) between you and anyone who coughs or sneezes.

Why? When someone coughs or sneezes, he drops liquid droplets that may contain the virus through his nose or mouth. If you are too close, you can breathe the droplets and with them the COVID-19 virus, if the person who coughs has the disease.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth

Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to the eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and cause the disease.

Both you and the people around you should make sure you maintain good airway hygiene. That means covering your mouth and nose with your elbow bent or with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. The used handkerchief should be discarded immediately.

Why? Viruses spread through droplets. By maintaining good respiratory hygiene, you are protecting people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.

Stay home if you are not well. If you have a fever, cough and shortness of breath, seek medical attention and call ahead. Follow the instructions of the local health authorities.

Why? National and local authorities will have the most up-to-date information on the situation in their area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to direct you quickly to the appropriate health center. This will also protect you and help prevent the spread of viruses and other infections.

Stay informed about the latest developments in relation to COVID-19. Follow the advice of your health care provider, relevant national and local health authorities or your employer on how to protect yourself and others before COVID-19.

Why? National and local authorities will have the most up-to-date information about whether COVID-19 is spreading in their area. They are the most appropriate interlocutors to give advice on what people in your area should do to protect themselves.

What are the chances of getting COVID-19?

The risk depends on where you live or the places you have recently traveled. The risk of infection is higher in areas where there are cases diagnosed with COVID-19. Currently, 95% of COVID-19 cases are concentrated in China, and most of them in Hubei province. For people who are in almost any other part of the world, the risk of contracting COVID-19 is currently low, although it is important that you follow the evolution of the situation and the preparation efforts that are carried out in your zone.

Should I worry about COVID-19?

If you are not in an area where COVID-19 is spreading, you have not traveled from any of these areas or been in close contact with someone who has done it and feels bad, your chances of getting it are currently low.

Who is at risk of developing a serious illness?

We still have a lot to learn about how COVID-2019 affects humans, but it seems that older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions (such as high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes) develop severe cases of the disease with more frequency than others.

Are antibiotics effective in preventing or treating COVID-19?

No. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses, only against bacterial infections. COVID-19 is caused by a virus, so antibiotics do not work against it. Antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention or treatment of COVID-19. They should only be used to treat a bacterial infection following the instructions of a doctor.

Is there a vaccine, medication or treatment for COVID-19?

Not yet. To date, there is no specific vaccine or antiviral drug to prevent or treat COVID-2019. However, those affected should receive health care to relieve symptoms. People who have severe cases of the disease should be hospitalized. Most patients recover with the help of supportive measures.

Possible vaccines and different specific pharmacological treatments are being investigated. There are ongoing clinical trials to test them. WHO is coordinating efforts to develop vaccines and medications to prevent and treat COVID-19.

Should I wear a mask to protect myself?

People who do not manifest respiratory symptoms such as cough do not need to wear a medical mask. The WHO recommends the use of masks in the case of people who have symptoms of COVID-19 and in those who care for people who have symptoms such as cough or fever. The use of masks is crucial for health workers and people who care for someone (whether at home or in a health facility).

How to put on, wear, take off and discard a mask

1. Remember that only health workers, caregivers and people with respiratory symptoms such as fever and cough should wear a mask.

2. Before touching the mask, wash your hands with an alcohol-based disinfectant or with soap and water.

3. Inspect the mask to see if it has tears or holes.

4. Orient the upper part up (where the metal strip is located).

5. Be sure to orient the correct side of the mask (the colored side).

6. Put the mask on your face. Pinch the metal strip or the rigid edge of the mask so that it conforms to the shape of your nose.

7. Pull down the bottom of the mask to cover your mouth and chin.

8. After using it, take off the mask; Remove the elastic bands behind the ears keeping the mask away from the face and clothing, so as not to touch the potentially contaminated surfaces of the mask.

9. Dispose of the mask in a closed container immediately after use.

10. Wash your hands after touching or discarding the mask. Use an alcohol-based disinfectant or, if they are visibly dirty, wash them with soap and water.

How long is the incubation period of COVID-19?

The "incubation period" is the time between infection with the virus and the onset of disease symptoms. Most estimates regarding the incubation period of COVID-19 range between 1 and 14 days, and generally are around five days. These estimates will be updated as more data is available.

Can humans get the COVID-19 virus by contact with an animal?

Coronaviruses are an extensive family of viruses that are common among bats and other animals. On rare occasions people become infected by these viruses, which can then spread to other people.

As a protection measure when visiting live animal markets or in other similar situations, avoid direct contact with the animals and surfaces in contact with them. Make sure that proper food hygiene practices are observed at all times. Handle carefully meat, milk or raw animal organs to avoid contamination of uncooked foods and avoid eating raw or undercooked animal products.

Can I get the COVID-19 virus by contacting my pet?

No. There are no data indicating that pets such as cats and dogs have been infected or can spread the virus that causes COVID-19.

How long does the virus survive on a surface?

It is not known with certainty how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on a surface, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses. Studies (including preliminary information available on the COVID-19 virus) indicate that coronaviruses can survive on a surface from a few hours to several days. The time may vary depending on the conditions (for example, the type of surface, the temperature or the humidity of the environment).

If you believe that a surface may be infected, clean it with a common disinfectant to kill the virus and thus protect yourself and others. Wash your hands with an alcohol-based disinfectant or with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth or nose.

Is it safe to receive a package from an area where COVID-19 cases have been reported?

Yes. The probability of an infected person contaminating commercial items is low, and the risk of contracting the virus causing COVID-19 by contact with a package that has been handled, transported and exposed to different conditions and temperatures is also low.

Is there anything I should not do?

The following measures are NOT effective against COVID-2019 and may be harmful:

Smoke

Take traditional herbal remedies

Wear several masks

Self-medicate with antibiotics or other medications

In any case, if you have a fever, cough and shortness of breath, try to get medical attention as soon as possible to reduce the risk of developing a more serious infection, and be sure to inform your health care provider about your recent trips.

Links for more information

COVID-19 website: https://www.who.int/es/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

WHO travel advice: https://www.who.int/ith/es/

Source: World Health Organization