Reported from San Miguel de Allende, State of Guanajuato, Mexico
For the last several days, I have watched the systematic shutting down of this otherwise tranquil city in the highlands of central Mexico.To date, there are no confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus in the state of Guanajuato.But you would never know that by the air of growing concern, masked faces, and government mandated closings that has this otherwise bustling town still, and eerily quiet.
Monday afternoon was the first sign that the fear and ripple effect of the closing down of one of the world’s most populated cities, Mexico City, had worked its way to San Miguel some 180 miles northwest of the country’s capital.The children’s playground at Parque Juarez was all but empty, void of the usual energy and laughter.Walking down Calle Nueva to Natura, the health food store where I do most of my shopping, I was shocked to see faces clad in masks along the cobbled street and on the busier stretch of Ancha San Antonio. Those on foot, bicycles, in cars, all wore pale green face masks on a day that was settling in on 90 degrees and while dry, felt heavy and stifling.
Inside Natura the refrigerators and shelves were uncharacteristically bare. A young woman and her son were buying a flat of farm fresh eggs.I overheard her telling another customer that the kids had been sent home earlier that morning, that by decree all schools in Mexico would be shut down until May 6. “You’re kidding,” I said, “why, when there hasn’t been a single confirmed case of flu in the state?”“I know,” she shrugged, “this media hype is getting ridiculous.” She went on to tell how friends had witnessed a near “mob scene” at a local pharmacy stripping shelves of hand sanitizers and demanding Tamiflu. “I think instead of hand sanitizers we should all drop to the ground and eat a little dirt.” She smirked. “That might be what keeps us healthy.”Her young son, in complete agreement, was grinning from ear to ear. I had to wonder if her comment wouldn’t come back to haunt her one day – not because she or her family would have contracted the flu, but she may have inadvertently given her son free reign to take daily dust baths.
I crossed the street to pick up a few additional groceries at Espinos market and was equally as surprised to see their personnel clad in the suffocating masks and donning plastic gloves.I found myself adding a few extra items to my basket not knowing if I returned in a day, perhaps two, if the shelves might be stripped as food stockpiling would become the task at hand for everyone worried about closings or a reduction or slowing down of deliveries and service.
Walking home in the dry and dusty late April heat, I remembered what a Mexican friend had told me last year.April and May are the dustiest, sultriest months of the year after many months of little to no rain, parched earth and desert winds.She said that many Mexicans and gringos living here tend to get sick during those two months, colds, flu, simply due to the dust and dirt – nothing more than the time of year.
I wondered then, would the paranoia already gripping the town only contribute to the panic and, if one got ill during the flu scare who might otherwise have their annual cold or flu, unnecessarily flock to doctors and hospitals fearful of H1N1?
Nearing my street of Terraplen I ran into a friend who threw air kisses. Later, at the corner tienda I saw another friend who gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.“What, no air kiss?” I smiled.“You’ve got to be kidding,” he said, “this whole flu thing is overblown, media-driven.”I tended to agree.
The next day, more and more venues were shutting down; the library, theaters, some bars and nightclubs, art classes, government agencies.I walked down Reloj Street and saw even more people donning masks, mainly Mexicans, a few gringos. The Mexicans in masks were mostly younger, perhaps 20’s and 30’s and more than likely due to the fact that those diagnosed in and around Mexico City were primarily younger adults. The usually bustling jardin or zocalo was nearly empty.An older gringo sat alone on a park bench wearing his mask. On a nearby bench a group of mariachis sat in the shade chatting, their instruments parked, no one to play for.
Late afternoon brought yet more news of how rapidly things were changing.Reported on a local online Civil List and posted by Ed Clancy, the U.S. Consular Agent for San Miguel de Allende, I received the following notice:
April 28, 2009 Update on Flu Outbreak in Mexico – Mexico City Closes Most Public Establishments; State Department updates Travel Alert for Mexico
U.S. citizens traveling or residing in Mexico City should be aware that on Tuesday, April 28, 2009, the Mayor of Mexico City ordered the closure of all establishments where large numbers of the public gather until May 6, including restaurants, bars, discos, night clubs, cinemas, movie theaters, theaters, gyms, and convention centers.
The State Department believes it is important for all citizens to maintain readiness for all possibilities in case of an emergency. Because of potential disruptions in shopping patterns, the U.S. Embassy is advising its employees to consider stockpiling two-weeks of emergency supplies such as food, water, infant formula and medicines, as well as to verify the availability of cash or credit cards. U.S. citizens traveling or resident in Mexico should consider doing the same.On Friday morning, San Miguel’s weekly English newspaper, Atencion, reported the latest: As of April 28, all public activities within the municipality of Allende were restricted. Students of all ages were sent home April 27. Sports centers, museums, libraries, nightclubs and theaters have been requested to close. Churches, although recommended to close, continue to ring their bells. Celebrations for Labor Day on May 1 and the Santa Cruz on May 3 have been cancelled.
Restaurants and bars serving food are permitted to continue business as usual. According to Francisco Bautista Espinoza, Civic Protection’s assistant-in-training and public relations officer, supermarkets, pharmacies and banks will stay open but staff are following hygiene recommendations, such as wearing surgical masks and gloves as well as cleaning counters regularly with alcohol or chlorine. Restrictions apply even to private events. “Weddings, quinceañeras (15th birthday) parties—all must be suspended; Civic Protection is monitoring the city to ascertain the federal mandate is being obeyed,” he said.
The Civil List had its share of postings by concerned residents, some skeptical of the “scare” and its virulence, while others were operating on panic mode.Additional postings by restaurants and cafés were offering food para llevar (take out) and some delivery service for those afraid to dine in a public place.
The paranoia was spreading, far more quickly than any new or suspected cases of flu.
A native Californian, Jan Baumgartner is a writer and book editor dividing her time between surviving in Maine and living in Mexico. Her writings on Mexico will be included in the new literary journal, Lady Jane (San Francisco Bay Press, 2009) Her (more...)
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
The upcoming holiday, Cinco de Mayo, commemorate's Mexico's defeat of the French ... let's hope it also celebrates their victory over this media hype as well.
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Meryl Ann Butler (67 articles, 81 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 690 comments [24 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, May 2, 2009 at 7:46:35 PM
I doubt there will be any celebrations here for two reasons: One, the flu scare might very well linger and two, Mexicans, at least those in San Miguel I've been told, really don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the same fashion as we do in the States. That might vary from Mexican state to state, but I heard this last year, too, and saw little celebration around May 5th.
The town is quiet, this is normally a quiet time of year, fewer tourists, but it is "sleepier" than usual and in a place where something is always happening, live theater, music, dance - most public venues and celebrations have been cancelled.
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Jan Baumgartner (60 articles, 148 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 309 comments [10 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, May 2, 2009 at 8:06:45 PM
By Golly, I'm glad you'rat your station, spreading the news
It's so good to hear from you. Glad neither you nor your computer caught the virus. There may be few Cinco de Mayo festiviities. But I hope you have a good time chilling out. Thanks, Jan.
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Margaret Bassett (43 articles, 2720 quicklinks, 35 diaries, 1649 comments [41 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, May 2, 2009 at 9:04:06 PM
Do the swine flu masks have little piggy noses? That's Rio, I'm thinking. Plenty of Mexicans in my bar, here; not too good with their english, but god, can they down the Coronas. And it's not Bood-weiser, it's Budweiser!
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Allan Wayne (17 articles, 0 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 115 comments [24 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Saturday, May 2, 2009 at 11:29:22 PM
My friend Dolores, a native of San Miguel, first showed me these pix then forwarded them on to me. She hasn't been buying this flu scare either. So thanks to Dolores Alvarez for supplying the breath of fresh air, or rather, the moment of levity for the day, and to Rady who posted these for me (and all my pix) since I am computer-challenged and can barely find my way around a keyboard. ~ Jan
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Jan Baumgartner (60 articles, 148 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 309 comments [10 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 5:46:12 PM
Click here click here a look at my traditional arrticle... As for the flu-we, the Russians call it ' swinsky gripp', that has a sarcastic connotation because the word ' swinsky' means 'piggie' and ' SOB' at the same time. So it comes to the SOB virus, you know...:)
You take care
Mark
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Mark Sashine (72 articles, 19 quicklinks, 267 diaries, 4052 comments [97 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 5:30:28 AM
I do not know if there is a major problem or not but the deaths in Mexico City are real. Given the mobility of the world 's human population caution is not a bad idea.
I have heard that viruses typically mutate drastically every few decades and we are "due" Also there is the Baxter "bioweapon" vaccine fiasco only a few weeks ago. As a prudent government I would err on the side of caution especially when US science advisors to Obama are talking about "World over population"
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gail combs (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 83 comments [27 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 11:48:11 AM
And of course, caution is warranted. However, as that is a given, looking at the numbers and how the media has not reported this story using a tone that would offer balance and perspective, it has used fear-mongering, paranoia and sensationalism - balance in any case of disease or illness is mandatory.
If we truly want to lead our lives with extraordinary caution, we'd best think twice about driving to work, to school, to get groceries because we have a far greater chance statistically of being killed in an automobile or even hit by lightning than we do of catching H1N1 - this based on today's statistics and how many people in the U.S. die every year from the "common" flu and complications.
No one is saying don't be cautious. But let's get a perspective that doesn't leave us housebound and afraid of our own shadows. That, to me, is not living.
This isn't about black or white - caution or death. It's about everything in between and how to keep a clear head and perspective while weighing all the information, all the facts - not falling victim, prey to what a few media personnel sell as fact or fear.
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Jan Baumgartner (60 articles, 148 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 309 comments [10 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 12:25:30 PM
My heart aches for the millions of Mexicans whose lives will suffer even greater economic hardship, because of the irresponsibility of the media. You got it right: What the mainstream media in the U.S. provides is infotainment. It certainly ain't news.
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Gail Davis (4 articles, 1 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 75 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 1:20:31 PM
Personally, although I would love to visit Mexico again, I don't have a passport, so can't. When the US government shut off travel to Canada and Mexico without a passport, there should have been a great public outcry, but there wasn't.
They are hyping the flu for a reason. It may just be to get our minds off the bailout, it may be to prepare us for draconian "public health" repression, it may be to get us prepared for the release of a biological weapon. You can dismiss this as paranoid thinking, but I live in a country that has spent billions a year on biowarfare for decades. Why is it considered paranoid to entertain the thought that they may use it?
.... my bet is that this episode is almost certainly engineered and being used to get the population primed for a real attack and implementation of martial law... and if you don't get a flu shot from Baxter (the company that intentionally sent live avian virus out to millions ... ) you get to go to 'camp'....
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richard (0 articles, 5 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 1265 comments [196 recommended, 7 rejected]) on Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 4:26:13 PM
"How to keep a clear head and perspective while weighing all the information"
Unfortunately Jan, that'll never occur. It is this rapacious, corporately owned media's job to achieve the highest ratings, and at any cost. Whilst clambering to the top, intentionally perpetuating the faux hysteria. It'll never change.
What's most sad is that a vast majority of Americans (the sheople) swallow the corpstream media pabulum, just like new born robins being fed by their mother.
Ten cuidado
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Munich (1 articles, 85 quicklinks, 14 diaries, 1090 comments [18 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 1:46:48 PM
Janet Napolitano herself said the NEXT one will be very serious. Why on earth is the head of Homeland Security telling us this? Something wicked this way comes.......
Lest we forget, it was the WHO that raised the level to 5. And the tamiful flew off the shelves and the stock of those companies that produce it and the poison vaccines went skyward.
No, we are not that dumb.
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jersey girl (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1091 comments [511 recommended, 11 rejected]) on Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 4:31:01 PM
There is a reason the virologists are grim-faced theses days. History teaches us that deadly pandemics are inevitable. The only issue is when. Nobody really knows how the Swine flu business is going to work out. But the consequences of not keeping it under control could be disasterous.
E.g., likely, the only reason we are not in the midst of a major SARS epidemic (10% mortality rate) is vigorous public health measures at the source in China. Most people do not know how close that one was. Or how bad things could get if avian flu (67% mortality rate) starts transferring easily between humans.
Personally, I've stocked up on Tamiflu and Relenza and so have a lot of other people with some understanding of what is going on. Cheap insurance, considering.
BTW, arguably the main reason Swine flu has not had much mortality in the US is because serious cases get treated fairly quickly. What would happen if the numbers exceed the capacity of the health-care system and the care-takers themselves get sick?
Similarly, while it may be a statistical fluke, out of roughly 100 defined cases in the US, there has been one death. One out of 100 is not that different from the 1919 flu epidemic. BTW, This is 10-fold the regular rate from seasonal flu.
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sesquiculus (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 38 comments [25 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 5:04:31 PM
Looks like you will be one of the unfortunate ones lining up for the poison flu shot big pharma has planned for the masses. You obviously buy into their hype. Fortunately, many of us don't and see where they are going with it.
Don't take their vaccine.
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jersey girl (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1091 comments [511 recommended, 11 rejected]) on Monday, May 4, 2009 at 4:19:39 PM
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