PL write an essay on carona virus
Answers
Explanation:
A Chinese professor who publicly criticized President Xi Jinping's handling of the deadly coronavirus has been put under house arrest, barred from social media, and denied access to the internet, his friends told The Guardian.
Xu Zhangrun, a law professor at Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University, published a scathing attack on the government's response to the virus outbreak on February 10. You can read an English translation of it on China File.
The essay — titled "Viral Alarm: When Fury Overcomes Fear" — condemned the government's "authoritarian" system of control and strict censorship in the country, saying they were hampering efforts to control the spread of the virus, COVID-19, the coronavirus disease that first appeared in late 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
The essay was immediately taken down, The New York Times' Nicholas Kristof reported.
Xu, 57, was also put under house arrest as soon as he returned to Beijing from the Chinese New Year public holiday — which was extended until last week over coronavirus fears — The Guardian reported, citing an unnamed friend. It was not immediately clear when he returned to Beijing.
"They confined him at home under the pretext that he has to be quarantined after the trip," the friend said. "He was in fact under de facto house arrest and his movements were restricted." (Beijing announced last week that anyone returning to the city would be quarantined for two weeks to check for the coronavirus.)
Answer:
The coronaviruses family cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), according to the WHO.
They circulate in animals and some can be transmitted between animals and humans. Several coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.
The new coronavirus, the seventh known to affect humans, has been named COVID-19.
What are the symptoms?
Common signs of infection include fever, coughing and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, it can cause pneumonia, multiple organ failure and death.
The incubation period of COVID-19 is thought to be between one and 14 days. It is contagious before symptoms appear.
Infected patients can be also asymptomatic, meaning they do not display any symptoms despite having the virus in their systems.
How many people are affected?
In mainland China, at least 2,236 people died and at least 75,400 have been infected, according to official figures.
Deaths have also been confirmed in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, France, Taiwan, Iran and South Korea.
Cases have been confirmed in Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Iran, Israel, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, the UAE, the UK, the US and Vietnam.
Where did it come from?
China alerted the WHO to cases of unusual pneumonia in Wuhan on December 31.
COVID-19 is thought to have originated in a seafood market where wildlife was sold illegally.
On February 7, Chinese researchers said the virus could have spread from an infected animal to humans through illegally trafficked pangolins, prized in Asia for food and medicine.
Scientists have pointed to either bats or snakes as the possible source.
What is happening in China now?
Efforts to contain the outbreak have caused disruption in China, with some 20 cities facing travel restrictions affecting at least 60 million people.
More than a dozen countries have evacuated their citizens from Wuhan, while others have banned entry to Chinese citizens. Several airlines have suspended flights to and from China.
On February 10, a team of WHO experts arrived in China to investigate the outbreak.
Should I worry? How can I protect myself?
The WHO declared the virus a global health emergency on January 30, deeming it an "extraordinary event" that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response.
People are being urged to follow local safety measures.
WHO recommends basic hygiene such as washing hands with soap and water and covering your mouth with your elbow when sneezing or coughing.
Maintain "social distancing" - keeping at least one metre (three feet) between yourself and others - particularly if they are coughing and sneezing, and avoid touching your face, eyes and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid unnecessary, unprotected contact with animals and be sure to thoroughly wash hands after contact.
Ensure meat consumed is cooked thoroughly.