Mexico frighteningly unprepared for Coronavirus, as president AMLO seems unfazed clutching "Good Luck" charms

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat

Mexico continues to insist they have only 1 death from the virus-Mexico’s president says he’s putting trust in good-luck charms, as he continues to give his famous hugs.................

Mexico continues to hold massive events, this from last week

It is extremely difficult to glean coronavirus stats from Mexico.  Official these are the numbers, suspect as they are:

The Ministry of Health confirmed 25 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total to 164 infected in Mexico.

He explained that there are 314 suspected and 787 negative cases registered.

In addition, it reported that of the total of confirmed cases, 2 percent is serious and 7 percent stable.

According to the report, 71 percent of the patients have been treated in the Ssa and 23 percent in private hospitals.

Officially one death has been registered.

Mexico is a transition hub for migrants from all areas of the globe, hoping to cross into the U.S.  How can these numbers be accurate?  Organizations must question and investigate Mexico and the CV transmission in the country.

Mexico’s universal health care is a failure; extremely overburdened and underfunded I have interacted with the system while seeking treatment for children in my foundation needing medical.  It is not pretty, and any impression is shocking and negative.

One with money, can access world class care in the private sector, which is where I quickly switched when accessing medical care for my foundation kids.  Monterrey, Guadalajara, Mexico City has high quality private health care.

From Slate:

Last weekend, 110,000 people attended the “Vive Latino” music festival in Mexico City, which took place as scheduled despite several confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mexico’s capital. At the same time, while governments worldwide took drastic measures to slow down the spread of the disease, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, known as AMLO, traveled to the south of Mexico and met with adoring crowds, shaking hands and hugging and kissing supporters. During his daily press conferences, AMLO has insisted that his honesty and moral rectitude protect him from the virus and that the threat of COVID-19 is greatly exaggerated. “I have great faith that we will move our dear Mexico forward, that misfortunes and pandemics won’t affect us,” he told reporters at a press conference on Sunday.

The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Mexico may seem low, but it has grown exponentially over the last week, from eight to 118, and the first death from the disease was reported on Wednesday night. Moreover, Mexico has very limited testing capabilities, and the official statistics are not a reliable indicator of the actual number of cases in the country. Although the government’s position is that Mexico is still in “Phase 1” of the pandemic, meaning all diagnosed cases of COVID-19 are people who caught the virus while traveling abroad, most experts agree the virus is already rapidly spreading within Mexico and that the government’s nonchalance about the situation could have disastrous results.

“We need political leaders that are properly advised and understand the gravity of the situation,” said Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. “A lot of people in Mexico would die unnecessarily unless the government gets very seriously prepared for this.” Getting seriously prepared means taking drastic measures to curb the spread of the virus, bolstering the hospital system, and helping people cope when the economy grinds to a halt.

LA Times:

In recent weeks, as Mexico’s neighbors to the north and south have restricted air travel and closed schools and businesses to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has nonchalantly portrayed his country as one on the sidelines of the global health crisis.

“Pandemics ... won’t do anything to us,” he said on Monday while accusing the media and his political opponents of exaggerating the threat.

He has declined to close his borders or ban travel from afflicted countries and has brazenly ignored recommendations from his own deputy health minister that Mexicans refrain from greeting each other with a customary hug and kiss.

At a large rally over the weekend, López Obrador waded proudly into the crowd, kissing children and embracing supporters. He has made a show of waving off offerings of anti-bacterial gel. And on Wednesday, before appearing at another large event, he showcased a collection of good-luck charms that he carries with him, including Catholic scapulars and a U.S. 2-dollar bill.  “They are my body guards”, says AMLO.

Resource center: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/