San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
Honduras has deteriorated significantly in the fight against the coronavirus in the first month of 2021.
Just two months in the year since the pandemic entered the country, the number of those infected increased, far from infrequently, in the first days of January, according to reports from the National Risk Management System (Sinager).
When comparing the number of infected people registered in Honduras in July 2020 (month with the highest incidence of infections) with January 2021, it is possible to show the gap in which mitigation of the deadly virus fell.
According to the reports, up to January 27 in Honduras, there were a total of 19,270 newly infected with coronavirus, while 22,457 were registered in July, only 3,187 patients otherwise.
In addition, compared to the average number of covid patients in Honduras over the past 10 months, January has already exceeded that number by nearly 35%, according to official data.
Experts believe that this statistic will increase if Hondurans continue to relax with biosafety measures and the authorities fail to make appropriate determinations when about to reach an “epidemiological tragedy” soon.
With these prospects, the arrival of the vaccine could be very late before the first half of 2021, they say.
Failed restriction
For the Honduran scientist Marco Tulio Medina, the mitigating measures to eradicate the virus were not enough, in addition to other factors such as the relaxation of the population during the holidays and the floods caused by hurricanes Eta and Iota in particular in the north of Honduras.
“In Asian countries, work has been done to eliminate the virus, not mitigation better results than in Europe and America The fact that more attempts have been made to attack the virus when it is acquired has led to another outbreak due to the events at the end of the year, ”the doctor analyzed.
In terms of deaths, the death toll in January was already higher than the average number of deaths during the 10-month pandemic by 5%, about. To date have been included more than 328 deaths from coronavirus, when the monthly average was nearly 300.
Only in the week of January 24-27, deaths were reported by at least three doctors and nurses in Honduras, a Sampedrano artist and former soccer world champion.
“The cases must be monitored and there must be isolation so that the virus does not continue to spread in the country and cause a greater number of infections and deaths,” advised Medina.
Deputy Health Minister Roberto Cosenza, for his part, believes that the comparison of the two months is incorrect due to the different moments experienced, but he added another phenomenon that worsens the contamination this year.
“In July 2020 the pandemic had started” while in the figures for January 2021 “we still receive those infected by the storms and also the December holidays where they have infected entire families, ”the doctor said.
To all of the above, Cosenza adds the political activities that have already generated several cases of infection in the first four weeks of 2021.
“Compared to previous months, we have not yet exceeded the maximum peak, we will see how the cases are in February. The success is in the biosafety measures”, the officer said.
Unusual occurrence
At the Central American level, Honduras it is the third country with the most infections has confirmed in the first month of 2021, only under Panama with more than 60,000 infected and Costa Rica with more than 20,000.
However, doctors in public hospitals in the country ensure that the number of infected will increase significantly in the coming weeks.
“There are about 10,000 cases that are not counted with real-time PCR tests, but with antigen tests whose rate, along with the immunological ones, is almost double that of July,” said Dr. Carlos Umaña, president of the Association of Physicians. of the Honduran Social Security Institute (IHSS) in San Pedro Sula.
“We are sure that the number of infections in January is worse than in July 2020, as we have been saturated with public hospitals and the social security hospital for two weeks, which is not we had lived in this pandemic, ”he said.
Umaña believes that Honduras is about an “epidemiological tragedy”.
Another alarming situation pointed out by the doctor is that the virus no longer prefers seniors in Honduras.
“More than 50% of them admitted Because of Covid in Social Security, people are under 45 and attack a vulnerable population what are pregnant women in the third trimester and they are under the age of 30. This new strain treats young people badly, infects them and causes worse symptoms like pneumonia it ranges from 5, 20 to 40% “.
Remedy
In addition to the relaxation of the population, Honduran doctors believe that the Honduras Multisectoral Table “did not want to control the mobility of people” and therefore contamination has increased enormously.
“The Medical College of Honduras (CMH) has asked for it (regulated circulation) because the virus travels with humans. The contagion curve will never stop just because people are told to wear masks, people are irresponsible and need restraints, that’s how it has been in almost every part of the world, ”said the vice president of IHSS doctors in San Pedro Sula .
“Doctors expect many deaths at home, people dying near triages and hospital deaths. The CMH calls for 21 days of quarantine and conditioned circulation, but you can start with the Sula Valley, not exactly the whole country,” Hill.
Currently, about 145,000 people have been infected with covid in Honduras since the start of the pandemic and about 3,600 people have died. 60,735 have repaired and defeated the virus.
Hondurans are holding on to the arrival of the coronavirus vaccine expected in March this year.
According to the authorities of the Comprehensive Immunization Program (EPI), 5.7 million Hondurans are eligible to receive it.
The President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández assured this week that the first to be vaccinated in the country will be doctors and nurses on the front lines in public hospitals and that it will be free.