In Pictures: Coyoacan

During the city-wide shut down for piggy flu, I had taken a few long walks, including this one to Coyoacan.  These pictures were taken along Calle Sosa, on the way from Plaza San Jacinto to the center of Coyoacan. México, D.F.

Overcoming Cabin Fever

The last few days of the shut down here in Mexico City have led to some significant bouts of boredom.  Across the city, many people have been dealing with the effects of cabin fever and life is starting to stir, with a subtle energy on the street that wasn’t present during the frist few days. [...]

Face Masks, Paranoia, and the Mexican Overreaction

This is hopefully the second-to-last post on the outbreak of AH1N1.  I’ve been following two main themes, the first of which is the use of face masks and the second a discussion of AH1N1 mortality in Mexico.  Yesterday, I had a few links on the lack of mortality; as the “outbreak” subsides — the term [...]

NY Times on Mexican H1N1 Mortality

The NY Times had an article (First Flu Death Provides Clues to Mexico Toll) posted this afternoon on the mortality of H1N1 in Mexico for which they interviewed several doctors at a hospital in Oaxaca.  The running theory discussed by the authors and the medical staff is that the initial patients waited too long before [...]

More on the mortality (or lack thereof) of H1N1

One of the themes that I’ve been following is to understand why Influenza A (H1N1) appears more deadly here in Mexico.  I last wrote about how the Mexican mortality rate had dropped significantly.  Now, today’s BBC has an article discussing the science of the virus — that it is very similar in its composition and [...]

Preliminary Data on the Economic Costs of H1N1

Although the epidemic of swine flu continues to evolve here in Mexico, preliminary reports are starting to come out in regards to the economic costs of the swine flu epidemic.  Why care about economics?  Certainly, in the case of an epidemic, short-term priorities should be to prevent the spread of a disease.  However, in the [...]

Signs of Swine Flu Abatement in Mexico?

Yesterday I commented that it looks as if the swine flu might be recessing here in Mexico.  News today seems to support that hypothesis. On Friday, the first day of the emergency, newspapers reported there had been 30 deaths.  By Saturday, the totals jumped to 100.  In the three days following, there were roughly another [...]

Why Swine Flu Appears to be More Deadly in Mexico

In this article on slate.com, David Dobbs notes that the only swine flu deaths that have occurred are here in Mexico and suggests four reasons why the virus seems to have a much, much lower mortality up north.  All of Dobbs’ reasons hinge on the idea that there is some key pathological difference — the [...]

(Swine Flu and) an Earthquake, too

Apparently, Mexico City was just struck by an earthquake, measuring 5.7 (or 6.0) on the Richter Scale.  That’s pretty sizable, as far as earthquakes go, but not a monster.  Preliminary reports — the news was on in a store I passed — indicate the temblor was centered in the state of Guerrero, possibly near the [...]

Swine Flu, Isolation, and Signs of Paranoia

Last Thursday evening, the president of Mexico met with senior advisors to discuss and plan their response to the reported outbreak of swine flu here in Mexico.  They closed schools, ordered the cancellation of every public gathering, and dispatched members of the army to hand out face masks at metro stations.  I’ve heard rumors that [...]