The Week in Health: Coronavirus Threats Reach Mexico

This week, Coronavirus arrived to America. Mexico is already looking into seven possible cases, while the whole world expects a sanitary emergency announcement, along with preventive and corrective measures to combat this issue. The number of cases related to Coronavirus is still uncertain as some sources say it´s around 600 or 800.

In Mexico, the healthcare sector has seen much controversy, following complaints about fees and lack of medicines. Corruption cases in the sector have caused disappointment and worry about how and when these problems will be fixed.

NATIONAL

Even tough Mexico managed to control its global corruption index, actions from the past still hunt us. This week, the government announced that there are more than 34,000 complaints of anomalies in 10 federal agencies, most of them from the health sector.

CONCANACO-SERVYTUR announced its intention to work conjunctively with the Ministry of Health to take the right preventive measures to avoid a Coronavirus crisis in the Mexican population.

Mexico has investigated seven possible cases of this virus; three of them in Jalisco, three in CDMX and one in Michoacan. A Tamaulipas case was already dismissed. 

Due to complaints and protests from the parents of children with cancer given the lack of medicine for their treatments, President Lopez Obrador announced the investigation of the Director of the Children’s Hospital.

INTERNATIONAL 

China announces there are 830 confirmed cases of Coronavirus, which has caused the death of 25 Chinese citizens. The country has already expanded its quarantine to 20 million people. Beijing has already announced the cancellation of the Chinese New Year festivities due to the high risks of infection.

Hoping this situation will suddenly change, WHO declared that it is too soon to declare a sanitary emergency.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Ministry of Health confirms the second case of Coronavirus. It has been said the virus reached Japan on January 19. Singapore reports one case and Vietnam two.