Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have mentioned that health is the most important matter. So, this should be the main issue to be dealt with, above any other. All voices and expressions must come together to face the pandemic and its consequences. Currently, the number of cases and deaths is alarming, as of June 21st, there are 180,000 confirmed cases in the country and the number of deaths exceed 21,000.
In the midst of this terrible situation, it seems that confinement has made us more insensitive, because it appears urgent to talk about anything else. But there will be time to worry about other issues, but for now, we need to focus our full attention on finding a solution that will end the pandemic, and this will only be possible if we do it together. If not, the possibility of an even more severe outbreak is increasingly latent.
History has shown us that we are still far from ending this crisis, since new outbreaks are usually more aggressive than the first stages of the pandemic. When comparing COVID-19 with previous pandemics, such as the Spanish Flu and Influenza H1N1, the above is confirmed. In Spain, the Spanish Flu’s second stage was more lethal that the first one; the same happened in Thailand with the Influenza H1N1, when its third stage was more serious than its first.
In fact, some of the countries that have managed to emerge from the pandemic or have flattened their contagion curve to a minimum level, are presenting new outbreaks. In China, after 55 days without new local cases, in the last 8 days, 325 new cases, which were linked to a crowded food market in Beijing, were reported; and in Israel, after registering an average of 14 cases per week a month and a half ago, this number has increased up to 236 cases in the last 7 days.
Additionally, in Germany the rate of infection doubled in recent days. In the last 5 days, 3,175 cases were registered, compared to the previous 10 days when 3,205 cases were reported. There is no doubt that countries are eager to reopen their economies, the problem is that when authorities relax their measures, people tend to see this as the end of the crisis, and that is why they must be careful in order to stop the virus from spreading.
In this regard, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the world has entered a dangerous stage due to the lack of confinement and social distancing measures. This is certainly understandable because people are tired of staying at home, in addition, there are many that cannot stay in because they have to make ends meet, however, rushing back out could ruin al the work we have done so far.
Therefore, during this so called “New Normal”, preventive measures against the virus must be followed. Such as the use of face masks; washing our hands constantly; avoiding touching our mouths, noses, and eyes; and keeping common areas disinfected, as well as social distancing.
The only way to reduce contagion is by following the Health Authorities’ instructions, this does not mean to stop being Mexicans. We must pay attention, because the more protected we are, the more we will be able to take care of our health and that of others. This is the time to form a common front against coronavirus and to protect the lives of many people, by contributing from each an everyone’s capabilities.
* Arturo Ávila Anaya, IBN/B Analitycs President and National Security Expert by Harvard (NIS).
@ArturoAvila_mx