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States issue special rules for disposing of bodies of virus victims

By
Cody Copeland
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municipality of Puerto Vallarta has prepared 500 graves with capacity for two bodies each in preparation for Covid-19 deaths.
Prepared in PV: the municipality of Puerto Vallarta has prepared 500 graves with capacity for two bodies each in preparation for Covid-19 deaths.

Although the federal Health Ministry announced that the bodies of those who have died from Covid-19 cannot spread the virus after having been disinfected, many states are setting their own varying regulations on how to process the remains of victims of the global pandemic.

Three weeks after Mexico recorded its first death from Covid-19, the virus is changing how Mexicans physically process death.

Hidalgo has some of the strictest regulations in the country, mandating that cadavers be put into sanitary biodegradable bags clearly labeled as biohazards and that they be buried in coffins that are resistant to pressure caused by gas.

Health workers in México state who come into contact with a Covid-19 cadaver will be equipped with a hermetically sealed disposable biohazard suit with goggles and an N-95 face mask. They will have to follow a strict hygiene protocol and completely clean and sanitize all areas and equipment used to deal with the remains.

The Tabasco state Health Ministry prohibits citizens from holding wakes in their homes and mandated that cadavers be cremated in sealed coffins within 12 hours of death. San Luis Potosí enacted a similar measure with a 24-hour postmortem period.

Authorities in Coahuila ordered that all funerals be limited to 10 people.

The federal Health Ministry said that a properly disinfected Covid-19 cadaver “poses no risk” and that the preferable way to dispose of one is cremation, but interment also acceptable. All ceremonies can follow traditional customs.

In expectation of the worst of the pandemic still to come, the hospital systems of the National Autonomous University (UNAM) and the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) began withdrawing medical interns from hospitals across the country on Monday to safeguard personnel.

Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell warned the public in late March that phase three of local transmission, in which the rate of contagion is highest, would come in April.

Source: Milenio (sp)

9 governors warn of health system collapse without more federal resources

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MND Staff
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healthcare workers
The governors say existing funding levels are not enough.

The governors of nine states ruled by the conservative National Action Party (PAN) have warned that the public health system is at risk of collapse if the federal government doesn’t provide them with additional funding, equipment and supplies to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Association of National Action Party Governors (GOAN) – whose members are the leaders of Aguascalientes, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Durango, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, Tamaulipas and Yucatán – said that state governments have only received their normal allocation of healthcare funding despite the growing coronavirus pandemic.

“Normality was left behind months ago,” the governors said in a statement posted to Twitter.

“Mexico is going through a serious situation. A challenge that it hasn’t faced in almost a century. To confront it, state governments have made an enormous effort … We have confronted an extraordinary situation with the usual resources,” GOAN said.

In addition to asking for extra funding from the federal government – which GOAN said “holds 90% of the country’s budget resources” –  the governors said that they need more Covid-19 testing kits, face masks for medical personnel and ventilators to treat coronavirus patients with life-threatening symptoms.

“If these urgent requests are not attended to, the state [health] systems will collapse. For the good of Mexico, we expect attention to our demands and a solution,” the PAN governors said.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization highlights in a new report that Mexico is facing the coronavirus pandemic with a shortage of nursing staff.

Mexico only has 25.8 nurses per 10,000 inhabitants whereas some other countries in the region, including Brazil, Chile and the United States, have more than 100 nurses per 10,000 residents, according to the report State of the World’s Nursing 2020. 

In that context, the federal Health Ministry launched a recruitment drive on Saturday that is seeking to find 12,300 nurses and 6,600 doctors.

The medical personnel will be offered six-month contracts, social security benefits for themselves and their families, competitive salaries and training to treat Covid-19 patients imparted by Mexico’s best infectious disease specialists, according to the ministry.

The deputy health minister conceded yesterday that Mexico hasn’t enough nurses or doctors for normal conditions, let alone for an emergency such as Covid-19. “The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development documented many years ago that Mexico did not have enough health personnel …” Hugo López-Gatell said.

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Mexico increased by almost 300 on Monday – the biggest single-day jump – to more than 2,400 while the disease has claimed the lives of 125 people.

Mexico City has the highest number of cases followed by México state, Puebla, Jalisco, Quintana Roo and Baja California.

Source: El Universal (sp), El Financiero (sp) 

Financial experts see obstinacy, ideology in AMLO’s economic plan

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MND Staff
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López Obrador
López Obrador: He hasn't grasped the size of the problem, said one analyst.

A range of financial institutions have criticized President López Obrador’s plan to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, describing it as indicative of his ideology and stubbornness.

The Bank of America said that the plan outlined on Sunday by AMLO, as the president is widely known, places additional downward pressure on the economy because it doesn’t include financial support for businesses and doesn’t amend tax policy to help them get through the inevitable coronavirus-fueled downturn.

“We expected a contraction of 8% this year and a 4.5% recovery next year. But after AMLO’s speech, we now see clear downside risks for both years, especially for 2021,” the bank said.

It predicted that Mexico’s sovereign rating will be downgraded by Moody’s or Fitch in a matter of days or weeks.

For its part, Citibanamex described López Obrador’s plan as disappointing and claimed that the government is seeking to downplay the economic impact of the growing Covid-19 outbreak. It also said that the economic response needs ideas rather than ideology.

López Obrador on Sunday stressed that his administration, unlike the “neoliberal” governments of the past, will not bail out large companies or banks or cut their taxes. Citibanamex was critical of the latter stance, charging that business needs tax concessions to help them through the pandemic.

The investment bank Goldman Sachs pointed out that Mexico is the only large country in Latin America that has not announced a stimulus package to lessen the economic impact of Covid-19 and the measures put in place to contain it.

“Although the macroeconomic environment is quickly deteriorating, the administration of Andrés Manuel López Obrador continues to be reluctant to ratify a fiscal stimulus package in spite of having greater fiscal space [to act] than its emerging [market] peers,” the bank said.

The financial group Monex said that the absence of a robust plan to combat the effects of the pandemic on the economy will likely cause a sharp downturn in economic activity in April and that negative growth will continue at least until the end of June.

Similarly, the general director of Mexico City brokerage firm Bursamétrica said that the lack of action by the government will probably cause a deeper than anticipated recession. (The Finance Ministry is predicting that the Mexican economy could shrink by as much as 3.9% this year).

“The president hasn’t grasped the size of the problem we have in front of us,” Ernesto O’Farrill said.

Santiago Levy, a former deputy finance minister, said the government should absorb the losses incurred by businesses while they are closed as a result of the health emergency declared last week, explaining that the support might have to continue for three months. He also said that the government should issue new bonds and use the resources to implement measures to combat the coronavirus and its economic impact.

The criticism from financial institutions and experts adds to the disapproval of AMLO’s economic plan, which primarily focuses on providing aid to the poor by increasing public investment and social spending and offering loans to small businesses and individuals.

Many of Mexico’s prominent business groups were also critical of the plan, stating that it is “disappointing,” “incomplete” and its consequences could be “grave.”

Source: El Universal (sp) 

National Guard saves the day after semitrailer’s brakes fail

By
Cody Copeland
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The truck without brakes, center, flies through the toll booth in San Luis Potosí.
The truck without brakes, center, flies through the toll plaza in San Luis Potosí.

National Guardsmen in San Luis Potosí avoided a potentially deadly highway crash when a semitrailer lost its brakes on the Mexico City-Piedras Negras highway on Monday.

In a coordinated effort with toll booth operators and other motorists, they cleared a lane for the truck to drive freely and ultimately pass through a toll booth before reaching a stretch of road on which it could slow to a stop.

“National Guard troops made contact with a semitrailer driving in the left lane and they saw a woman in the passenger seat with a piece of red cloth who shouted that they had no brakes,” the national security force said in a statement.

They cleared the truck’s path, coordinating with personnel at the Los Chorros toll plaza to clear the area and leave a lane open, then informed the driver of the truck over a loudspeaker that they had cleared a path.

The driver was able to bring the truck to a stop safely near the town of Matehuala, San Luis Potosí, after having passed through the toll booths without incident.

The operation potentially saved dozens of lives that could have been lost had the semi crashed or collided with another vehicle.

A bus accident in Veracruz left 21 people dead and 30 injured after it lost its brakes and collided with a semitrailer on the Veracruz-Puebla highway last May.

Source: El Universal (sp)

Insulting tweet from Attorney General’s Office triggers investigation

By
Susy Buchanan
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Attorney General Gertz: his office is investigating the offensive tweet.
Attorney General Gertz: his office is investigating the offensive tweet.

A private citizen’s tweet that was critical of President López Obrador’s economic plan for the coronavirus pandemic drew an insulting reply from the office of the Attorney General on Sunday, prompting an internal investigation.

Twitter user Araceli Benítez, a Mexican woman living in California, complained about the Mexican president on social media on Sunday, writing “I want to cry. I did not expect anything good from him, but it is very sad that he has confirmed once again what analysts have always warned; Andrés Manuel López Obrador is a danger to Mexico.”

The offensive reply from the Attorney General’s Office was abrupt and pulled no punches. Someone using the agency’s official Twitter account retorted, “The danger for Mexico is people like you, without an ounce of intelligence.”

Although the Tweet was swiftly deleted, it was copied and shared by a number of users on social media who have loudly criticized the attack on Benítez. Screenshots of the offensive tweet have been extensively retweeted and many Twitter users have demanded an apology.

On Monday the Attorney General’s Office acknowledged and disavowed the tweet in a message to its 772,000 followers and announced an internal investigation to determine which of its employees was responsible.

The executive director of the Americas division of Human Rights Watch demanded an explanation from the government department. “This outburst is not minor,” said José Miguel Vivanco. “It is a harsh personal attack from the official account of one of the most powerful authorities in Mexico. Who has access to that account? Has it been hacked? The attorney general, Alejandro Gertz Manero, must explain what happened and punish the person responsible,” he said.

Source: El Universal (sp), Infobae (sp)

71% of Chilangos are attempting to remain at home as much as possible

By
Susy Buchanan
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mexico city street
Some are venturing out of their homes, but most are attempting to stay home.

Three-quarters of Chilangos — residents of Mexico’s capital city — say their lives have been significantly changed in the last two weeks by the coronavirus pandemic, according to an April 4 poll conducted by El Financiero. That’s up from just 37% on March 20.

One of the biggest changes is in the number of people staying home: 71% of those surveyed said they try to leave their homes as little as possible, if at all. 

According to the study, 53% said they only leave their home when strictly necessary, while 18% try not to go out at all. 

On the other hand, 13% said they have not changed their habits and continue to go out as they normally do, while 16% said they are leaving their homes but exercise more caution when they do.

In addition to respecting social distancing recommendations, Chilangos are also following hygiene guidelines with 85% washing their hands more often; 68% said they spend more time cleaning and disinfecting their homes. 

When not washing or cleaning, half of those surveyed said they are watching more movies than they normally would, 40% are cooking more, 33% spend more time sleeping and 29% are praying more often. 

Chilangos are more worried about a family member becoming infected (80%) than getting the virus themselves (67%) while 65% of those surveyed said they are very concerned about losing their job. 

Exercising at home doesn’t seem to tip the scales more frequently: 30% said they exercise more, 29% said they work out less, and 37% reported no change in their exercise habits.

However, shopping for delivery or online has definitely been affected by financial uncertainty, with the survey showing that 42% are ordering less food than usual, and 41% saying they have reduced their online purchases. 

Lack of freedom was also a big concern, with 47% lamenting the lack of activity outside the home and 10% saying they miss regular contact with their friends. Still, 44% said they are reaching out more to friends and family, and 40% said they are spending more time on their phones. 

Ten percent of those surveyed said the worst part of staying home was having to live with a family member. 

Source: El Financiero (sp)

Nuking popcorn? Consumer agency offers warnings

By
Cody Copeland
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0
popcorn
Not all that healthy, Profeco warns.

With Covid-19 keeping many people cooped up at home, movie night might seem a safe activity to keep the family occupied, but you might want to be careful over what you snack on during the show.

The federal consumer protection agency Profeco published a study in the April issue of La Revista del Consumidor (Consumer Magazine) that takes a deep dive into what’s actually in those microwavable packages.

The investigation showed that excessive consumption of microwavable popcorn is harmful not only for the high levels of fats and sodium it contains, but also because of other ingredients that can have harmful effects on the human body.

One such ingredient is perfluorooctanoic acid, found in some types of popcorn packaging and Teflon-lined frying pans. When exposed to high temperatures and consumed, this chemical can cause thyroid cancer and infertility, Profeco warned.

Monosodium glutamate is added to the popcorn to enhance the flavor, but it’s also the likely cause of elevated levels of triglycerides in the blood, which can harden arteries and increase the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease.

Diacetyl is the artificial flavoring that gives microwavable popcorn an authentic buttery taste. But when heated and turned into vapor, it can cause lung damage and decrease lung capacity if inhaled, the agency said.

The study also found that most brands selling the product use palm oil, which harms not only the body with its high levels of saturated fats but the environment as well. Profeco says high demand for it has caused huge amounts of deforestation, primarily in the tropical rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia.

Profeco concluded what most would assume: that microwavable popcorn offers more calories than nutrients and benefits, citing homemade stovetop popcorn as a healthier and cheaper alternative.

Popcorn corn is rich in vitamins B1, B3 and B6, as well as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese and antioxidants.

While the average price of an 80-gram bag of microwavable popcorn is around 10.90 pesos (US $0.45), popcorn corn bought as grain at the market costs less than 2 pesos per 100 grams on average, the consumer protection agency said.

Source: El Universal (sp)

Police demand better protection against virus after officer dies

By
Susy Buchanan
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0
Mexico City police say protective equipment too little and too late.
Mexico City police say protective equipment too little and too late.

A Mexico City police officer has died of coronavirus triggering demands for more personal protection equipment as police patrol the city’s busy streets, metro stations, hospitals and supermarkets. 

“We have not been tested, and we don’t know how many people we come in contact with on the streets are contagious. Only now, after the death of a colleague, are safety measures being put in place,” said one officer only identified as Ramiro N. of the Napoles division where the fallen officer also patrolled.

The officer, 43-year-old Efraín Santillán who also suffered from Type-2 diabetes, worked security at the Vive Latino music festival March 15 and 16, and worked his regular patrol routes March 17, 20 and 23. He began suffering from respiratory symptoms some 11 days before his death, tested positive for coronavirus and was hospitalized before passing away on April 4. 

During a virtual press conference Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that of the nine other officers who have tested positive for coronavirus, two are hospitalized  and seven others are self-isolating under medical supervision, as are 59 others who may have been exposed to the virus.  

As the number of those tested positive grows, so does fear among law enforcement agents. Some officers expressed concerns that the personal protective equipment they need is coming too little and too late. 

“They are just now beginning to clean and distribute masks and gloves but there aren’t enough for everyone,” said Ramiro N., noting that officers are assigned to posts such as metro stations where people often don’t know about the quarantine or don’t abide by even the most basic health guidelines, coughing without covering their mouth, or people with cold symptoms touching their face. 

Another officer noted that police have to share bullet-proof vests without knowing if whoever used the vest on the previous shift came into contact with the virus. 

Sheinbaum pledged to be transparent with information about the virus, offered condolences to the family of the fallen officer, and pledged her support for all members of law enforcement serving the citizens of Mexico’s capital city during the pandemic.

“They have a job that they cannot leave; we are giving them all the support they require,” she said.

Source: El Demócrata (sp), Proceso (sp), El Universal (sp)

Covid-19 patients with diabetes 95% more likely to die; cases up by 296

By
MND Staff
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Disinfection tunnels have been installed at various locations in Mexico City in recent days.
Disinfection tunnels have been installed at various locations in Mexico City in recent days.

Covid-19 patients with diabetes are 95% more likely to suffer complications or die from the infectious disease while the risk of death among those with weakened immune systems increases by 76%, according to an analysis conducted by the National Institute of Public Health.

Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell cited the analysis at the government’s coronavirus press briefing on Monday at which it was announced that the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Mexico had risen by 296 to 2,439 and that coronavirus-related deaths had increased by 31 to 125.

“Let’s not forget … the huge prevalence of diabetes in the Mexican population, [the rate] is one of the highest in the world,” López-Gatell said.

Diabetes and suppression of the immune system “can increase by up to 95% and 76%, respectively, the risk of complications and the risk of death” in patients with Covid-19, he said.

The deputy minister noted that the health institute analysis is “still preliminary,” adding “when we have a greater quantity of data, the analysis will be a lot more robust.”

 

Coronavirus by state
State Deaths Cases Suspected Tested negative
Mexico City 29 609 1100 1598
Sinaloa 12 97 271 254
Jalisco 7 126 703 1184
Baja California 7 111 245 395
Hidalgo 5 35 79 232
Coahuila 5 102 391 424
Estado de México 8 261 572 789
Tabasco 8 107 331 328
Veracruz 3 41 412 345
Morelos 3 17 57 138
Quintana Roo 8 115 148 228
Querétaro 2 40 48 281
San Luis Potosí 3 37 154 445
Baja California Sur 2 54 141 202
Durango 4 12 78 141
Zacatecas 2 9 39 173
Puebla 2 156 222 370
Nuevo León 3 93 142 970
Michoacán 3 33 82 232
Sonora 1 30 141 232
Guerrero 3 32 128 167
Oaxaca 1 27 81 192
Tamaulipas 1 31 82 169
Nayarit 1 10 27 93
Yucatán 2 72 64 281
Guanajuato 58 164 1025
Aguascalientes 49 164 389
Chiapas 26 65 133
Chihuahua 22 52 101
Tlaxcala 14 75 152
Campeche 9 15 40
Colima 4 22 38
Deaths Cases Suspected Tested negative
Total 125 2439 6295 11741

 

López-Gatell recommended that people check whether there is any history of chronic diseases, especially diabetes, in their family in order to better assess the risk that Covid-19 poses to them. He said that many people don’t have complete knowledge of their health, and could have a chronic disease without knowing it.

López-Gatell, who has been described as Mexico’s coronavirus czar for appearing daily before the nation as the government’s official spokesman on the subject, said Saturday that diet was to blame for the high rates of diabetes and obesity in the country.

“This is the product of many years, at least four decades, of poor nutrition, a diet that has been created by products of low nutritional quality and very high calories, in particular in processed foods,” he said.

Earlier in Monday’s press briefing, Health Ministry Director of Epidemiology Jose Luis Alomía presented the government’s daily Covid-19 report, which showed that Mexico had recorded its biggest single-day increase in both confirmed cases and deaths.

It was the third consecutive day that more than 200 new cases of the disease were reported after 202 cases were announced on Saturday and 253 cases on Sunday. Before the 31 new coronavirus-related deaths were reported last night, the highest single-day death toll was 19 on April 4.

Deaths have more than quadrupled in the space of a single week from 28 on March 30 to 125 yesterday, while the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases increased by 123% in the same period.

In addition to the 2,439 confirmed cases, Alomía said that there are 6,295 suspected cases and that 11,741 people have tested negative for Covid-19.

More than 20,000 people have now been tested for the disease, which has infected more than 1.3 million people around the world and claimed the lives of more than 75,000, according to data compiled by the John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

Mexico City has the highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases, with 609, followed by México state, Puebla, Jalisco, Quintana Roo and Baja California, where there are between 111 and 261 cases. Just over one-quarter of people confirmed to have Covid-19 have required hospitalization while 74% have not.

Hypertension, diabetes and obesity have been the most prevalent existing conditions in those who have died, Alomía said. Only three patients to have died did not suffer from a chronic disease, the official said, explaining that the three were aged between 25 and 29.

Mexico City has recorded the highest number of coronavirus-related deaths, with 29, followed by Sinaloa, with 12. México state, Quintana Roo and Tabasco have each recorded eight deaths while seven patients with Covid-19 have died in both Baja California and Jalisco.

Three-quarters of those who have died have been men while women account for the other quarter. Covid-19 patients aged over 65 account for the highest number of deaths followed by those aged between 55 and 59.

Source: La Jornada (sp) 

Some are resisting warnings to maintain healthy distance

By
MND Staff
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Covid-19 threat failed to keep people away from the beach in Veracruz on the weekend.
Covid-19 threat failed to keep people away from the beach in Veracruz on the weekend.

Social distancing is society’s foremost weapon against the coronavirus pandemic but while many in Mexico have heeded the call to keep their distance from each other, some have not.

Young couples in parks and plazas in parts of Mexico City and México state are openly flouting the government’s “healthy distance” recommendations, according to a report by the newspaper El Universal, at least one beach in Veracruz remained busy over the weekend and customers at many street food stalls continue to chow down on snacks such as tacos and tortas while standing or seated cheek by jowl.

Those still using public transportation in the capital are finding buses and subway cars much emptier than usual but nevertheless cannot always maintain the recommended 1.5 meters of separation – or choose not to.

In a park in the eastern Mexico City borough of Iztacalco, one woman canoodling with her boyfriend told El Universal that she thought the social distancing measures put in place by the government were too extreme.

Identified only as Susana, the woman said that she didn’t know anyone with Covid-19 and that she believed it was a hoax.

“There’s no disease, they made it up … If there was a disease, I would already know someone who died,” she said before declaring “nothing will happen,” a remark that echoes the words uttered by President López Obrador in the first half of March when recommending that people continue hugging each other.

“They’re asking us to stay at home but we’re taking advantage of our free time to be together,” said Susana, who ironically shares her name with the cartoon superhero heroine, Susana Distancia (Your Healthy Distance), created by the government to help disseminate the social distancing message.

Over the weekend, many more people decided to defy the government’s order to stay at home and instead enjoy a day out at the beach in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz. The newspaper Milenio reported that Playa Villa del Mar near the port city of Veracruz was packed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with both revelers and vendors offering products such as swimming suits, food and alcoholic beverages.

Although the federal government has ordered the closure of beaches to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, no municipal, state or federal security forces sought to enforce the rule at Villa del Mar on the weekend.

Municipal authorities explained that they didn’t have the authority to ask people to leave because Mexico’s beaches are classified as federal zones. The state government said that it would move people on from beaches but despite its stated intention failed to do so at Villa del Mar.

Back in the capital, some non-essential businesses – including hair salons, tattoo parlors, repair shops and car washes – have defied the government’s order to close in boroughs including Iztacalco, Iztapalapa and Coyoacán and many street vendors continue to ply their trade on the streets of the capital and in the México state municipalities of Toluca, Metepec and Zinacantepec.

Workers who spoke with El Universal said that they couldn’t afford not to work, a situation that makes strict social distancing measures less viable in Mexico than some other countries.

President López Obrador on Friday ruled out any possibility of implementing “draconian measures” such as a curfew to contain the spread of Covid-19, while he said two weeks ago that he wanted to avoid a complete shutdown of the economy because it would disproportionately hurt the poor.

However, the government declared a health emergency last Monday, suspending non-essential activities until April 30 and announcing sanctions for businesses that refuse to comply.

Source: El Universal (sp), Milenio (sp) 

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