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| Ecuador Gives Glimpse Into Pandemic’s Impact on Latin America | Ecuador Gives Glimpse Into Pandemic’s Impact on Latin America |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| QUITO, Ecuador — Bodies left out on sidewalks. The authorities struggling to keep track of deaths. Funeral parlors, out of coffins, using cardboard boxes made by companies that usually package bananas and shrimp. | QUITO, Ecuador — Bodies left out on sidewalks. The authorities struggling to keep track of deaths. Funeral parlors, out of coffins, using cardboard boxes made by companies that usually package bananas and shrimp. |
| The calamity unfolding in Ecuador’s business capital, Guayaquil, offers an ominous look at how officials’ ability to respond to the coronavirus pandemic in Latin America can be dangerously hamstrung by the inequality, weak public services and fragile economies that mark much of the region. | The calamity unfolding in Ecuador’s business capital, Guayaquil, offers an ominous look at how officials’ ability to respond to the coronavirus pandemic in Latin America can be dangerously hamstrung by the inequality, weak public services and fragile economies that mark much of the region. |
| “What we’re seeing in Guayaquil is what can happen in most of South America’s large cities, where pockets of cosmopolitan richness coexist with widespread poverty,” said Alexandra Moncada, who directs activities in Ecuador for the international aid organization CARE. | “What we’re seeing in Guayaquil is what can happen in most of South America’s large cities, where pockets of cosmopolitan richness coexist with widespread poverty,” said Alexandra Moncada, who directs activities in Ecuador for the international aid organization CARE. |
| A country of 17 million, Ecuador has one of the highest official rates of coronavirus infections, and deaths, per capita in Latin America. | A country of 17 million, Ecuador has one of the highest official rates of coronavirus infections, and deaths, per capita in Latin America. |
| It is still unclear why it has been affected so deeply. Some experts believe the virus may have traveled along the country’s deep migratory links with hard-hit Spain and Italy, then spread as Ecuador lagged in adopting social distancing measures. | It is still unclear why it has been affected so deeply. Some experts believe the virus may have traveled along the country’s deep migratory links with hard-hit Spain and Italy, then spread as Ecuador lagged in adopting social distancing measures. |
| Ecuador’s official coronavirus death count rose to 220 on Tuesday, the latest number available, with 182 other cases listed as “probable” but unconfirmed — higher than its larger and more populous neighbors Peru and Colombia. | Ecuador’s official coronavirus death count rose to 220 on Tuesday, the latest number available, with 182 other cases listed as “probable” but unconfirmed — higher than its larger and more populous neighbors Peru and Colombia. |
| Ecuador’s president, Lenín Moreno, has warned that the real figure is much higher, but that because testing is limited the true extent of infections is impossible to determine. | Ecuador’s president, Lenín Moreno, has warned that the real figure is much higher, but that because testing is limited the true extent of infections is impossible to determine. |
| Most deaths have occurred in Guayaquil, a dynamic port city of three million on the Pacific, which became the first major metropolis in the region to see its public services break down. | Most deaths have occurred in Guayaquil, a dynamic port city of three million on the Pacific, which became the first major metropolis in the region to see its public services break down. |
| Since the start of the crisis in late March, the government has recovered 1,350 bodies from Guayaquil’s homes, according to the office of Jorge Wated, who heads the task force responsible for picking up the dead in the city. About 60 bodies are collected daily, his office said. | Since the start of the crisis in late March, the government has recovered 1,350 bodies from Guayaquil’s homes, according to the office of Jorge Wated, who heads the task force responsible for picking up the dead in the city. About 60 bodies are collected daily, his office said. |
| The virus tore through luxurious gated communities and poor, hillside neighborhoods. Within days, the explosion of mortality overwhelmed the authorities, and hundreds of bodies began to accumulate in hospitals, morgues and homes. | The virus tore through luxurious gated communities and poor, hillside neighborhoods. Within days, the explosion of mortality overwhelmed the authorities, and hundreds of bodies began to accumulate in hospitals, morgues and homes. |
| Lourdes Frías said she spent five days trying to get someone to collect the body of an elderly neighbor who died last week after having respiratory problems. Emergency phone lines were constantly busy, she said; on the rare occasions when she got through, she was told no one was available to help. | Lourdes Frías said she spent five days trying to get someone to collect the body of an elderly neighbor who died last week after having respiratory problems. Emergency phone lines were constantly busy, she said; on the rare occasions when she got through, she was told no one was available to help. |
| As the days went on, others in her building in the Socio Vivienda neighborhood of Guayaquil began to clamor for the body to be taken to the street. The police eventually removed the remains. | As the days went on, others in her building in the Socio Vivienda neighborhood of Guayaquil began to clamor for the body to be taken to the street. The police eventually removed the remains. |
| “Our situation is a nightmare from which we are unable to wake up,” Ms. Frías said. | “Our situation is a nightmare from which we are unable to wake up,” Ms. Frías said. |
| The surge in deaths in Guayaquil — and the images circulating on social media of bodies wrapped in plastic and left on doorsteps — has exposed the pandemic’s potential impact on the poor in developing countries, where access to health care and other resources is faulty even in the best of times. | The surge in deaths in Guayaquil — and the images circulating on social media of bodies wrapped in plastic and left on doorsteps — has exposed the pandemic’s potential impact on the poor in developing countries, where access to health care and other resources is faulty even in the best of times. |
| As the virus spread, some families said their loved ones had spent days seeking hospital treatment; recovering their relatives’ bodies took days, as did trying to have them buried. | As the virus spread, some families said their loved ones had spent days seeking hospital treatment; recovering their relatives’ bodies took days, as did trying to have them buried. |
| The cadaver crisis reached such proportions that local cardboard manufacturers, which normally produce packaging for exported agricultural products, last week began donating cardboard coffins to the affected families. | The cadaver crisis reached such proportions that local cardboard manufacturers, which normally produce packaging for exported agricultural products, last week began donating cardboard coffins to the affected families. |
| “This is something beneficial, this is a solution,” said Pedro Huerta, whose packaging plant in Guayaquil is donating 600 cardboard coffins a day. His plant’s cardboard usually packages Ecuador’s bananas for Dole. | “This is something beneficial, this is a solution,” said Pedro Huerta, whose packaging plant in Guayaquil is donating 600 cardboard coffins a day. His plant’s cardboard usually packages Ecuador’s bananas for Dole. |
| Like many Guayaquil residents who work in the informal economy, without benefits or job security, Ms. Frías, a house cleaner, lost her ability to earn a living when the quarantine was imposed. At the same time, shortages caused by the lockdown made food prices shoot up. | Like many Guayaquil residents who work in the informal economy, without benefits or job security, Ms. Frías, a house cleaner, lost her ability to earn a living when the quarantine was imposed. At the same time, shortages caused by the lockdown made food prices shoot up. |
| Residents say the price of potatoes, a national staple, has soared in Guayaquil in recent weeks: A dollar used to fetch five pounds of potatoes. Now it buys just one. | Residents say the price of potatoes, a national staple, has soared in Guayaquil in recent weeks: A dollar used to fetch five pounds of potatoes. Now it buys just one. |
| To alleviate the economic pain, last week the government began paying informal workers a $60 monthly stipend to stay home. The amount is about a quarter of what a housekeeper like Ms. Frías typically earns in a month. | To alleviate the economic pain, last week the government began paying informal workers a $60 monthly stipend to stay home. The amount is about a quarter of what a housekeeper like Ms. Frías typically earns in a month. |
| “I always liked to have my things: my beans, my rice,” she said. “Now I’m living on God’s grace.” | “I always liked to have my things: my beans, my rice,” she said. “Now I’m living on God’s grace.” |
| The pandemic has left Ecuador’s already troubled economy with few options beyond the handouts. | The pandemic has left Ecuador’s already troubled economy with few options beyond the handouts. |
| The collapse of oil prices has decimated the government’s main source of revenue. An ill-timed austerity package pushed by Mr. Moreno, the president, to assuage international creditors led to the firing of up to 3,500 public health workers last year. | The collapse of oil prices has decimated the government’s main source of revenue. An ill-timed austerity package pushed by Mr. Moreno, the president, to assuage international creditors led to the firing of up to 3,500 public health workers last year. |
| And Ecuador’s decision to use American dollars as its official currency, made during a financial crisis in 2000, means Mr. Moreno cannot print more money to compensate the affected workers. | And Ecuador’s decision to use American dollars as its official currency, made during a financial crisis in 2000, means Mr. Moreno cannot print more money to compensate the affected workers. |
| The economic pressures faced by Guayaquil’s poor underline the complex class dynamics that have fueled the epidemic in the country — and that may be replicated across the continent. The virus’s ability to overwhelm capacity in Guayaquil so quickly can be seen as a warning sign for the region, said Jarbas Barbosa, assistant director of the World Health Organization’s Americas office. | The economic pressures faced by Guayaquil’s poor underline the complex class dynamics that have fueled the epidemic in the country — and that may be replicated across the continent. The virus’s ability to overwhelm capacity in Guayaquil so quickly can be seen as a warning sign for the region, said Jarbas Barbosa, assistant director of the World Health Organization’s Americas office. |
| “We believe everybody at some point will go through widespread community transmission” of the virus, he said. | “We believe everybody at some point will go through widespread community transmission” of the virus, he said. |
| Updated June 12, 2020 | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| Some of the first confirmed infections in Guayaquil were traced to well-off Ecuadorean students who had been attending school in Spain but returned to their families to escape the outbreak in Europe. Infections spread at high-society weddings last month, according to the local authorities. | Some of the first confirmed infections in Guayaquil were traced to well-off Ecuadorean students who had been attending school in Spain but returned to their families to escape the outbreak in Europe. Infections spread at high-society weddings last month, according to the local authorities. |
| By the time the virus found its way to the slums, the dynamic had reversed. While better-off Ecuadoreans were able to stock up on provisions and retreat to their homes, many manual workers have defied the government’s stay-at-home orders to make ends meet. | By the time the virus found its way to the slums, the dynamic had reversed. While better-off Ecuadoreans were able to stock up on provisions and retreat to their homes, many manual workers have defied the government’s stay-at-home orders to make ends meet. |
| Residents of poor neighborhoods say many of their neighbors continue to work every day, increasing the risk of contagion. Some are going door to door, begging for food. | Residents of poor neighborhoods say many of their neighbors continue to work every day, increasing the risk of contagion. Some are going door to door, begging for food. |
| Banks turned into high-risk areas once Ecuadoreans, many without bank accounts, showed up in large numbers to retrieve their $60 stipend in cash. | Banks turned into high-risk areas once Ecuadoreans, many without bank accounts, showed up in large numbers to retrieve their $60 stipend in cash. |
| “There are colleagues who continue going out every day because they are the only breadwinners,” said Lenny Quiroz, the Guayaquil-based head of Ecuador’s union of house cleaners. “People are being left without money, without food.” | “There are colleagues who continue going out every day because they are the only breadwinners,” said Lenny Quiroz, the Guayaquil-based head of Ecuador’s union of house cleaners. “People are being left without money, without food.” |
| Ecuador’s crisis has hit particularly hard the approximately 500,000 Venezuelans who have fled their country’s economic collapse. Unlike Ecuadoreans, they are not eligible for the government’s stimulus payments. Although Ecuador nominally has universal health care, many fear they will be the last in line for treatment. | Ecuador’s crisis has hit particularly hard the approximately 500,000 Venezuelans who have fled their country’s economic collapse. Unlike Ecuadoreans, they are not eligible for the government’s stimulus payments. Although Ecuador nominally has universal health care, many fear they will be the last in line for treatment. |
| Génesis Portillo, 26, came to Ecuador from Venezuela six months ago with her boyfriend. They both found jobs as sales assistants in the city of Machala, about three hours from Guayaquil, but lost them in the pandemic. | Génesis Portillo, 26, came to Ecuador from Venezuela six months ago with her boyfriend. They both found jobs as sales assistants in the city of Machala, about three hours from Guayaquil, but lost them in the pandemic. |
| They said they had spent their last savings stocking up on food. The stockpile should last about a month, they said, but they have no means of getting back home if conditions deteriorate. | They said they had spent their last savings stocking up on food. The stockpile should last about a month, they said, but they have no means of getting back home if conditions deteriorate. |
| “I’ve found people who have helped us because they know we’re all together in this crisis, but I’m afraid of getting sick,” Ms. Portillo said. “If there’s no resources to attend the Ecuadoreans, what’s left for an immigrant?” | “I’ve found people who have helped us because they know we’re all together in this crisis, but I’m afraid of getting sick,” Ms. Portillo said. “If there’s no resources to attend the Ecuadoreans, what’s left for an immigrant?” |
| Isayen Herrera contributed reporting from Caracas, Venezuela. | Isayen Herrera contributed reporting from Caracas, Venezuela. |