The Undersecretary of Health explained that six different mechanisms are being used in the country to monitor the distribution of COVID-19.
From January to date, the health authorities have carried out 9,100 tests for coronaviruses, which are distributed in the National Laboratory Network, reported Hugo López-Gatell, undersecretary for Prevention and Health Promotion.
“It is no mystery, we do not have to hide anything,” he said.
From the National Palace, he explained that 1,500 are in the Institute of Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference (INDRE); 6,200 in the 31 state laboratories; 200, in the Mexico City laboratory and 1,200, in six support laboratories that are in the National Institutes of Health and Specialty Hospitals of the ISSSTE and IMSS.
He added that such tests do not have an impact on the ability to identify positive cases of Covid-19, because there are many mechanisms by which the circulation of viruses can be documented.
The country, are using six different mechanisms to monitor the distribution of the disease.
“Today I would like to explain what are the technical elements of surveillance that allow us to say with certainty and confidence that we are indeed monitoring,” he said.
1- Detection of suspicious cases
2- Study of contacts
3- Monitoring of viruses in the country
4- Influenza surveillance system
5- Observation of respiratory diseases
6- Historical care that exists since the 70s
Given the doubts generated by the low number of coronavirus cases in the country, López-Gatell showed a graph with the epidemic curve to compare the case of Mexico with that of the United States. He said that in the case of the American Union, the detection of the first infected person occurred on January 25, while in Mexico this occurred a month later.
“People wonder why Mexico has 12 and the rest have 600, a thousand, etc. … Because Mexico is a month apart from the time of detection of the first case. Which does not mean that we have not been since the middle of January … we were the first country that had a diagnostic test, “he said.
“ We have done the same monitoring all the countries, but they had cases approximately a month before, which is not surprising, because the influx of passengers and the commercial relationship between other countries, for example, the United States with China or with Europe is much more intense than the one that exists between China or Europe with Mexico, for that reason we had less intensity of the possible entry of the virus ”.
However, he did not rule out that Mexico enters the period of community transmission and pointed out that it is likely that some cases will circulate that have not been directly detected.
“This should not worry us, that’s how epidemics work. This happened in countries that restricted or not because these phenomena have a period of population incubation, “he explained.
Watch Out for Coronavirus Tests, Vaccines, and Fraudulent Treatments
While many Mexicans are staying home to help “flatten the curve” and slow the spread of coronavirus disease (also known as COVID-19), they may be tempted to buy or use questionable products that they claim help diagnose, treat, cure and even prevent COVID-19.
Since COVID-19 has not been seen in humans before, there are currently no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat COVID-19 that have been approved. Meanwhile, some people and companies are trying to financially benefit from this pandemic by selling products that have not been evaluated, are illegally marketed, and make false claims, such as that they are effective against the coronavirus.
COVID-19 Test is FREE and only at authorized locations across Mexico National Institutes of Health and Specialty Hospitals of the ISSSTE and IMSS.
Coronavirus Cases:
633 Recovered
1,890 infected
79 Deaths
Source: aristeguinoticias.com, gob.mx/salud
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