Claudio Andrade
02/17/2020 - 15:06
- Clarín.com
- Society
A group of 18 Argentine tourists was in China between January 21 and 29 in China in an area near Wuhan, the focus of the coronavirus epidemic. Upon their return to the country, none of them were controlled in Ezeiza despite the fact that they were wearing a chinstrap and returning from the eastern country. Most were from Buenos Aires and only a few from the interior. Two of those passengers, who today showed no symptoms, talked with Clarin .
The retired doctor Viviana Herrera and psychologist Laura Pérez, both from Cipolletti, Río Negro, had enthusiastically planned a long-awaited trip to China that could be completed this summer. They were at a time when only some rumors of an alleged virus appeared in a specific region of that country and returned when the epidemic had already been unleashed. While they were in China they suffered the dizzying closure of public activity and were about to stay within their borders.
They traveled in a group composed mainly of Buenos Aires . Strangely upon their return to Argentina, with their chins on, officials in Ezeiza did not ask if they had symptoms and much less took their temperature. By their own decision both began a complete process of isolation until they confirmed that they had not been infected. As far as you know the other members of the tour are also healthy.
Passengers protect themselves against the coronavirus at Ezeiza Airport. Photo: Federico Imas
Already in Cipolletti his case took public status and rumors began to do his thing. Today both try to overcome with patience the paranoia of some neighbors who observe them as possible sources of contagion.
“I don't want my family to be exposed with this. We have no symptoms , we are not sick, we have nothing. There are also people who add us on Facebook or point us and I already want to give them my address so they know where to avoid me. The province has about 700 thousand inhabitants but they can still cross me one day on the street, ”says Clarín Herrara between angry and ironic.
By the time Viviana and Laura laid their feet on the huge eastern country, barely any rumor was heard of a disease that affected Wuhan's population. Nothing to be alarmed about and the tour could continue, they indicated from the travel agency.
On January 21, the women arrived in Shanghai with 16 fellow adventurers. In the city of 24 million inhabitants, located on the central coast of China, life was going on.
There were minimal , almost undetectable signs for those who did not speak Mandarin Chinese, that the health situation was beginning to get more complicated than expected. The information in the national media was scarce and, anyway, it was expressed in another language, says the doctor. If there were official parties, no one in the group could know.
“In China the provinces also have autonomy, it is similar to here, so some took actions and others did not . Some did not want to stop the activity because it represented millionaire losses. The situation changed completely when national measures were taken and there it was clear that something was happening, ”says Herrera.
On January 24, they were scheduled to travel to Xian to celebrate the traditional Chinese New Year, but the celebration was suspended to disappoint millions of people visiting or touring the Asian giant motivated on these dates. The party represents a movement close to US $ 80,000 million.
On that precise day there were 25 deaths and 571 infections throughout China. The majority in Wuhan.
“In China the people themselves have a habit of wearing chinstrap, there was very little information and the Chinese State was in charge of hiding the outbreak . WhatsApp works but in a very restricted way and you cannot send photos, audios, videos or documents. We watched television but there was not much and above in Chinese. When we realized that the problem was great, I started contacting my colleagues in Argentina to tell me what was happening and what the initial symptoms were, ”explains the doctor.
Although the scenario worsened the tourists were transferred as marked by the itinerary to Zhangjiajie, in northern China, one of the most attractive cities in the country, famous for its imposing landscapes, the forest reserve and its glass bridge. Only when arriving the Argentine visitors understood the seriousness of the events. The city has about 1.4 million inhabitants and was empty. Shops and hotels closed. To the point that one of the hotels they stayed in, the Lanwan Boge International Hotel, only remained open to serve the national delegation.
It was January 26 and there were 2,014 registered cases . Almost everyone in China.
With the evidence on the table the group began to break . “We were worried, a person from the group began to cry, there was another case of someone with diarrhea. We as health people try to contain them. I found out that diarrhea was not part of the picture, ”explains Herrera. The decision was unanimous had to leave before the borders were closed.
“First we contacted the consulate in Zhangjiajie where they didn't inform us much and just told us to let them know if anyone had symptoms. But then we returned to Shanghai where they gave us information and behaved very well. We talked with the agency and we were able to advance our return, ”recalls the professional.
They arrived in Shanghai on 28. The accountant marked 4,635 infected people and 106 deaths.
The return to Argentina began on January 29 with 7,000 confirmed infections on the planet. Of a total of 12 scheduled days they only occupied 8. They arrived in Buenos Aires on February 1. When they left China, the authorities had them sign an affidavit stating that they had no symptoms of coronavirus.
“At the hotel and at the consulate they suggested using chinstraps from the third day we were in China. But there we did not make contact with practically any Chinese person because all shops and public attention places were closed, ”adds Herrara.
Upon their return, the group members chose to continue with the prevention methodology. They got off the plane in Ezeiza with the chins and thus crossed through Customs. No one consulted them about the utensil taking into account that they were coming from China. “They didn't ask us anything. We did the paperwork and passed, ”says the doctor. The situation was repeated at the Neuquén airport. Preventive measures, zero.
The two women took the initiative in their hands. Never ceasing to use the chinstrap while they were in transit or traveling around the country they isolated themselves in their respective homes. Herrera remained about an isolated week in an apartment in Buenos Aires and Pérez did the same on his return to Cipolletti. They are aware that the other travel companions did not have health problems either. However, they do not know what precautionary measures each one took .
“We travel when there was no real dimension of contagion and the Chinese government placed a special emphasis on hiding it. At that time the outbreak was in a place in China, which is how it happened with the hantavirus and Epuyen. It wasn't that you couldn't come to Argentina for the hanta. And China is one of the largest countries in the world, ”says Herrera.
"The truth is that we are well, healthy, without symptoms, we went a month ago, if someone still wants to avoid my house to send me a message and I pass my address so he avoids it," he concludes.
Today there are about 70 thousand infected and 1,700 dead.
Another case without prevention
On Friday, February 7, a Brazilian tourist arrived at the Bariloche terminal. He wore a chinstrap and said he had symptoms of coronavirus. Officials called 911 but the visitor left by his means by taxi to a hostel in the center of the town. Up there they went to look for an ambulance and two patrols of the Río Negro police. The hostel ended up evacuated for a few hours.
The stranger was taken to the Ramón Carrillo zone hospital as part of a strong security operation. In the health center he was subjected to a battery of tests until it was confirmed that, in fact, he had pharyngitis and no coronavirus. He did not remain hospitalized and left the hospital the same Friday night.
One of the facts that attracted attention among the city authorities is how the tourist entered the country from Chile. Was he wearing the chinstrap? Had he declared at the border that he had symptoms of the virus? These questions have not been answered.
Bariloche Correspondent
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