COVID 19 is a recently discovered infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. Both this new virus and the disease that causes it, were unknown before the outbreak in Wuhan (China) in December 2019. Currently, COVID 19 is a pandemic that affects Puerto Rico and many countries around the world.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Other less frequent symptoms that affect some patients are aches and pains, nasal congestion, headaches, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell, and skin rashes or color changes on the fingers or toes. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually.

A person can get COVID 19 from contact with someone who is infected with the virus. The disease is spread mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets released from the nose or mouth of an infected person by coughing, sneezing, or speaking. These droplets can fall on objects and surfaces around the person, causing that other people can become infected if they touch those objects or surfaces and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth. Recent studies suggest that it can also be spread by people who are not presenting any symptoms.

How can we protect ourselves and others? We must follow the following recommendations from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

1. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
2. If you do not have soap and water, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth without first washing your hands.
4. Avoid direct contact with other people. Always maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet.
5. Use a cloth face covering (mask) that covers your mouth and nose whenever you are in a public place and when you are around people who do not live in your home.
6. Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with a disposable tissue and immediately throw it away in a trash can. Wash your hands immediately.
7. Clean and disinfect all frequently touched surfaces daily.
8. Avoid unnecessary trips. Stay home if you don't have an important reason to go out.
9. Monitor your health daily. Be on the lookout for any symptoms. If you feel sick, stay home and call a health professional.

10. At Pepe Ganga we are committed to protect the health of our employees and clients. For this reason we have implemented strict protocols to face this pandemic. Below, we share some of them:

    - We control the number of people and employees that can be inside our locations at the same time.

    - We take the temperature of all our employees and clients before entering any of our locations.

    - We disinfect our carts and baskets every time they are used.

    - Everyone is required to wear a mask at all times.

    - We offer hand sanitizer to everyone who enters our locations.

    - We request that only one person per family enter the store and make their purchases in consideration of those waiting outside.

    - We require that a social distance of at least six feet be maintained at all times inside and in line outside the store.

    - In addition, we have available for sale all essential products for our clients to stay healthy during the pandemic.

    We all have to do our part to avoid contamination and to overcome this virus the spread of Coronavirus that currently afflicts our Puerto Rico and the world!