Mercosur minimizes the risk of coronavirus expansion in the region

The Ministers of Health of Mercosur said Wednesday in Asunción that the block is prepared to deal with possible cases of coronavirus, but ruled out that the disease can spread through the area, due to the remoteness with China and climatic differences with the northern hemisphere.

The coronavirus was one of the diseases that centered the agenda of this III Extraordinary Meeting in the capital of Paraguay, which holds the temporary presidency of the block, and which together with the other member countries (Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay) agreed on the need for "homogenize the measures" against the coronavirus.

Stockings that "in essence are very similar," said Paraguayan Health Minister Julio Mazzoleni.

Although action plans were addressed, the ministers showed peace of mind regarding this disease, since "it has a low risk" in the area, according to the director of Health of Uruguay, Raquel Rosa, representing the branch minister, Jorge Basso.

"As time goes by, the information is greater. We know more about the situation, which we are preparing for and we are in contact for early identification and early action," said the Uruguayan expert.

The Minister of Health of Argentina, Ginés González, acknowledged that there is "a huge media impact" among society that does not correspond so much with the real risk that may exist in the region.

"What are the advantages we have? First we are far away, it is obvious but it is so. The second, that we are in a season that is summer, which is different from those in the northern hemisphere, which we all know they have more possibilities, "Gonzalez said.

For his part, the minister of the Brazilian health portfolio, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, said that "everyone is very well organized" to comply with the protocols before the detection of a possible case of coronavirus in the area.

The four countries have established that if there is any confirmation of coronavirus, they must notify the other countries of the block "immediately" to exchange information.

To date, all of the more than 2,000 deaths minus six - in Taiwan, Japan, France, the Philippines and two in Hong Kong - have occurred in mainland China and, although about thirty countries have diagnosed cases, China monopolizes around 99% of those infected.

The meeting also analyzed the dengue epidemic that plagues the region and punishes Paraguay especially, with 16 deaths due to the disease so far this year and more than 4,000 confirmed cases.

The increase in dengue cases in the region led the four representatives to exchange proposals and establish a "global strategy", as Mazzoleni said in the press conference after the meeting

The ministers also expressed concern about the increase in measles cases registered in the region and urged society to comply with the corresponding vaccines.