DEFINITION: Mexico’s original definition of a suspected case of coronavirus was too strict, turning away 36% of symptomatic patients since late March and caused a loss opportunity to break the infection chain, a report by Mexico’s Social Security Institute (IMSS) concluded this week.
CHANGE: Five months later, Mexican health authorities decided this week to broaden the definition of a suspected case -closer to the one used in the European Union- establishing that one of three major signs (fever, cough, headache) along with one of nine minor signs would be enough to suspect coronavirus.
SPREAD: “Many cases were not detected in time and thus they spread the disease though the community”, said Miguel Betancourt, head of the Mexico’s Public Health Society. “This was what was needed (in March) when what it was sought was to detect the first cases…to contain contagion”.
NUMBERS: As of late Wednesday, Mexico has officially reported 573,888 coronavirus cases and 62,076 deaths. By Mexico has the world’s highest coronavirus mortality rate at 10.8% according to Johns Hopkins University. This high rate could be explained by the unusually low number of confirmed cases in Mexico.
