During these days of social isolation, we will surely have time to inform ourselves about scientific and medical issues, and there is nothing better than doing so with reliable sources of information. In this article, we recommend five documentaries that address everything surrounding the spread of viruses throughout our history, how they have been contained, and what are some recommendations to prevent the spread.
This documentary, which lasts one hour and thirty minutes, takes a look at different diseases that have caused chaos in humanity: Ebola, anthrax, HIV, Spanish flu, bubonic plague, meningitis, chikungunya and viruses similar to COVID-19. The documentary focuses on the relationship between virus outbreaks and human interventions in animal life. It also talks about the responsibility of world governments to responsibly assume each emergency. One of the conclusions is that the COVID-19 pandemic will not be the last one we experience in this century and it is best to prepare now for the next one.
Coronavirus, how did it all begin? Discovery Latin America
In less than an hour, this Discovery documentary tells us how the current outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus began. The most shocking thing about this story is the lack of control in Chinese markets that sell animal species without any control. It tells how the population of Wuhan, capital of the Hubei province, made great efforts to contain the virus: prolonged quarantines, disinfection of places and public roads, closing borders with other cities and daily monitoring of its inhabitants to keep track of the disease. It is clear in this documentary that a possible vaccine for COVID-19 could take more than a year and that the best way to stop it is social isolation by staying at home.
Coronavirus in China | DW Documentary
The German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) tells the story of one of its journalists who has been quarantined in Beijing, China. DW reporter Sebastien Le Belzic records how the days go by with his family and how the changes in habits in the city seem straight out of a science fiction film: temperature checks every 300 meters, body heat detectors in the subway, fines for not wearing face masks, special permits to enter neighborhoods and the creation of citizen groups that watch over pedestrian traffic. This documentary shows the discipline and rigor with which Chinese cities have handled the current pandemic, in addition to reflecting the challenges that citizens face and the care they must take. Technology has become an essential tool to know who is infected and where they are doing their quarantine.
The lockdown: one month in Wuhan
China Global Television (CGTV) has made the first documentary produced directly in the city of Wuhan. It chronicles what happened in the first days of the outbreak, how they managed to identify the source of the virus and how the first doctors who treated the COVID-19 cases also became infected with a disease they were not familiar with at the time. It shows how the Chinese government organized the construction of two hospitals in record time: less than two weeks to be ready and providing services. The heroes of this documentary are the doctors who have put their integrity on the line for each patient diagnosed with the virus.
Coronavirus: The fight to contain the global pandemic
The virus has affected major world capitals. Countries that have been characterized by their economic strength and political power have seen how COVID-19 has arrived with challenges for which they were not prepared. This documentary analyzes the political and economic decisions of countries such as the United States and Australia to deal with the pandemic. It also highlights the lack of responsibility of some citizens in the face of isolation measures and the slowness of some decisions that have claimed the lives of hundreds of people today.
Five documentaries that responsibly address the analysis of this pandemic in which it is better to be well informed to avoid chaos due to the high flow of information circulating daily on social media. During this emergency, knowledge is power.
