# Covid seems to be getting a little closer.



## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

We have heard several third hand stories about people who have relatives or friends in distant parts of Mexico who have had covid. Some have died. My wife's best friend and her son in Spain came down with it. He is incubated in the hospital at the moment.

But Personally we didn't know anyone who had it. That is until the last couple weeks. Our herrero felt like he had a cold/flu. He went to get it checked out and they told him he had covid. They gave him some medicines and told him to stay home for 10 days. He is now back to work as of yesterday. (He had been to the house maybe 2 or 3 times since Christmas). We have another guy who does projects for us. My wife spoke with him on Monday (today is Wednesday) and we planned on getting together this coming Saturday. He called this afternoon to cancel. Same situation as the herrero.

I don't know where these people are getting tested. Both of these guys are big strong guys. We all live within a 2 mile radius of each other. They wouldn't take two weeks off if they could help it. Both of them say they don't/didn't really feel all that bad. To be honest - while maybe half of the people on the street wear masks (we do) people don't generally take it all that seriously here.

I had the antibody test last week (as part of my annual blood work) and tested negative. I guess that tells me I didn't pick it up from these two people.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

What is your point? Not everyone who comes in contact with someone who has the virus contracts it. 
And being a big strong guy has no relevance whatsoever.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

Here's the WHO data for Mexico: Mexico: WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard

I don't think there's much point in having a debate on whether it's accurate, inflated or suppressed, everyone's going to believe what they want regardless. One might choose to disbelieve or ignore the actual numbers but give some credit to the trends (believing that the numbers are manipulated but in a more or less consistent fashion). The trends are down since Jan 21. FWIW.

There's a big electronic sign in the tourist zone in Cancun and Farmacia Ahorro has rented time on it, they are announcing that the US now requires anyone flying to the US to get a test (in case the tourists didn't know they need that to get home), and that the test can be gotten at (of course) Farmacia Ahorro for (I think) 290 pesos. 

For people like your metalworker I don't know whether if they have IMSS they will give them the test or just send them to a farmacia where they have to pay for it.

If you happen to ask him, I'm curious what drugs they gave him - I'm assuming he went to IMSS. I'm wondering what the 'standard of treatment' for non-severe cases is here in mexico for people who can't afford private doctors and hospitals.

I ride the bus a lot, and last summer they had a no-standing rule (no more passengers than seats). That got lifted during the fall but seems to have been re-instituted this month. Otherwise there are no new restrictions since things reopened last summer. And some businesses that were taking temperatures at the door aren't doing so anymore, but most still do.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

In Chiapas you can get tested at Seguro popular and IMSS if you have symptoms and it is free but you must have symptoms..
People comiing into the house have to wear masks at my house and that takes care of it. My gardners uncle just died of covid.. Covid is around especially in multigeneration homes.

My godson works in Guadaljara and the company he works for tests him, on a regular basis .


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

What is the point, surabi asks? One of the points is this: when we’re involved in a traumatic event, it’s very human to want to talk about it. We want to be heard. Even when nothing can be done about the bad thing any more, we want someone to hear our story. My (adult) daughter happened to be overseas for a few months in 2017 and missed the earthquake. When she came back, everybody wanted to tell her their earthquake story. We had all told them to each other, but she was a new fresh audience. I didn’t realize what an effect it had on her until one day when we were recounting our experience yet again, and she got very upset and asked us to stop. She had been hearing earthquake stories from family, friends, and colleagues nonstop since she got back to Mexico, and it had gotten overwhelming. It was at that point that I realized how strong the need is that we all feel to tell our stories and have someone listen to them.

Now, the present situation. First, we used to hear of people who had covid who were known to people we knew. Then people we knew got it. A 2nd cousin of my husband’s that we hadn’t seen for a few years died. Then the closest one to us was our neighbour across the street. A sister-in-law of his died in hospital of a non-covid condition. But someone in the family must have picked up covid in the hospital when attending her or picking up her body. They had a very small, careful funeral with only the immediate family. But the man (our neighbour) and two of his sisters got covid and died. This was last month; in January.


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

Well today we upped the count of people close to us who have tested positive for covid to three. I went with my wife for a doctor's appt. The receptionist just completed her two week quarantine after testing positive. She said her medicines included; an anti-inflammatory, and anti-biotic, an anti-viral and vitamins. (The doctor - who also provides services at ISSSTE - received his second vaccine yesterday). 

As I mentioned in a previous post, we know a guy who tested positive on Tuesday. On Monday he was working at a friend's house - with two women and the housekeeper. All three went for testing yesterday (Wednesday). Apparently they have an outdoor tent setup on a popular street. You need to install an app on your phone, set an appt, pay 750 pesos (per person), and wait on line for 1/2 hour. They send the results to your phone (later the same day). Our friends all tested negative.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

maesonna said:


> What is the point, surabi asks?


I didn't mean for that to come across as snarky- I was actually confused as to whether the post was just wanting to talk about it, or asking some question.

I understand just wanting to talk about it.

I don't know anyone close to me who has gotten sick or died from COVID, but a man in my town I was acquainted with did die from it, and he had no underlying conditions, my mechanic's neighbor died, and many Mexicans have told me they had it or have relatives who have died.


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