Coronavirus: Latin America, 186 million at risk of contagion

(ANSA) - BUENOS AIRES, JULY 22 - The coronavirus pandemic is far from subsiding in the Americas, and as regards in particular Latin America and the Caribbean, at least 186 million people are potentially at risk Covid-19.
    In a report released in Washington, the director of the Pan-American Health Organization (OPS), CarissaEtienne, evoked a "very worrying situation", accentuated by the presence in the American subcontinent of chronic diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension, tuberculosis and deficient responses of the immune system.
    "Unfortunately - he explained - many of these medical conditions are very widespread in the Americas, and this makes our region particularly vulnerable". Including the United States and Canada in his analysis, the Ops manager pointed out that "in the Americas, three South Sudanese people, or almost 325 million individuals, run the risk of becoming infected due to their health conditions".
    And of these, he continued, "43 million are at high risk, which means that they may need hospitalization due to the joint effect of already existing diseases and Covid-19. Within this group, men are twice as likely of women to get infected simply. "
    Taking as a reference the date of 20 July, Etienne recalled that 7.7 million cases have been confirmed, with over 311,000 deaths. "In the Amazon basin - hainfine said - Covid-19 continues to expand, with significant increases in outbreaks located in Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru, while Central American countries are reporting the largest weekly increases since the pandemic broke out". (ANSA).