Mexican president says his COVID-19 case is 'like a cold'

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MEXICO CITY – Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Tuesday helium was hoarse and had a sore pharynx aft investigating affirmative for COVID-19 for the 2nd time.

López Obrador suggested helium had the omicron variant, saying “this caller variant of COVID isn't precise damaging.” He is isolating himself and spoke successful a video connection to the country's diplomats. “It's similar a cold,” helium said.

The president's reinfection mirrored a spike successful coronavirus cases successful Mexico that appears to beryllium owed to the dispersed of the omicron variant. While determination has been small summation successful caller hospitalizations oregon deaths truthful far, galore Mexicans expressed a consciousness of dread and discomfort.

There has been a wide shortage of coronavirus tests successful a state that already does precise small testing, and connected Tuesday, immoderate backstage pharmacies — erstwhile the past anticipation of a trial for those who could wage $15 to $25 for antigen tests — announced they had tally retired of kits.

“The worst is yet to come,” said Oscar Galindo, 35, a fiscal services idiosyncratic successful downtown Mexico City. “There are radical who don't instrumentality precautions, who are not vaccinated, and they are creating the caller variants successful their bodies.”

Vaccine uptake has been comparatively precocious successful Mexico, wherever astir see themselves fortunate to get a changeable aft seeing hospitals overwhelmed past January, erstwhile radical waited successful lines to get oxygen cylinders refilled to dainty relatives astatine home.

Even Javier Nolasco, a 21-year-old instrumentality pupil who has been afloat vaccinated and wears a look mask, felt the pall of what appears to beryllium Mexico's 4th question of coronavirus.

“We each person to support taking each of the precautions,” Nolasco said. “This has been atrocious for the economy, and for societal life.”

But López Obrador predicted that “this microorganism is connected its mode out” and that “things volition get backmost to mean precise soon.”

The president appeared connected a video provender astatine the greeting property briefing helium usually runs astatine the National Palace successful Mexico City. At slightest 2 members of his furniture besides tested affirmative successful caller days, and López Obrador said helium would deterioration a disguise — thing helium has been loath to do.

The president said successful that video that “fortunately, this variant does not person the grade of information that delta did, and I americium experiencing that.”

López Obrador said helium had nary fever, and his oxygenation was good. The president is afloat vaccinated, and has had a booster shot.

Health Secretary Jorge Alcocer said López Obrador could instrumentality to the briefings arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent week.

Galindo said Mexico had fto down its defender a spot during the holidays. In Mexico City, astir radical successful downtown areas inactive rigorously deterioration look masks, but large household get togethers are a vacation tradition.

“It got a small retired of control,” Galindo noted. “When the December holidays travel around, everybody has to person a party, and we each person parties.”

In 2021, López Obrador returned to his regular quality briefings successful February aft a two-week lack erstwhile helium caught coronavirus successful January.

At the time, López Obrador revealed helium received experimental treatments, which helium described lone arsenic an “antiviral” medicine and an anti-inflammatory drug.

This clip around, the president said helium was taking lone paracetamol, a mild symptom medication.

On Monday, the president told Mexicans to conscionable presume they had COVID-19 if they had symptoms. The fig of confirmed cases spiked by 186% past week.

López Obrador claimed the omicron variant is “a small COVID,” noting hospitalizations and deaths had not accrued astatine the aforesaid complaint arsenic caller cases. However, experts accidental those are some lagging indicators that whitethorn not amusement up for weeks aft infections spike. In the U.S., wherever the omicron question deed earlier it did successful Mexico, COVID-19 deaths person again started to rise.

Reading proposal posted connected Twitter, the president said Mexicans with symptoms should conscionable enactment astatine home, instrumentality paracetamol and isolate alternatively than going retired and trying to find tests.

Since Christmas, backstage pharmacies and the fewer disposable investigating centers person been overwhelmed by agelong lines. The Twitter proposal drew connected guidelines from Mexico City and different wellness authorities.

López Obrador’s medication has agelong refused to instrumentality wide testing, calling it a discarded of money. He called connected companies not to necessitate COVID tests for employees.

Mexico has besides been 1 of the fewer countries not to enforce lockdowns, formation bans oregon mandatory look disguise requirements.

Mexico passed 300,000 test-confirmed coronavirus deaths past week, but truthful small investigating is done successful the state of 126 cardinal that a authorities reappraisal of decease certificates puts the existent toll astatine astir 460,000.

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