Low coronavirus count spurs concern about adequate testing

Mexico’s low, barely budging count of confirmed coronavirus cases is raising concern about the adequacy of testing in the country and whether the government is doing enough to prepare for an epidemic.

Only eight cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed since the first was reported Feb. 28. Mexico is also monitoring 37 possible cases, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday. By comparison, Brazil, where the first case was confirmed two days before Mexico’s, now has confirmed 37 cases and suspects another 876.

The outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on Wednesday, as worldwide cases topped 120,000 and deaths exceeded 4,300. Countries still have a chance to alter the course of the pandemic, WHO said, urging governments to step up containment efforts through testing, tracing and isolating.

As of Tuesday night, the Mexican Health Ministry said it had performed 278 tests.

“I’m worried about the lack of diagnostic testing,” said Francisco Moreno, infectious disease specialist and head of Internal Medicine at ABC Hospital in Mexico City. “If Mexico has undetected cases circulating, the spread of the disease is going to be brutal.”

Mexico has largely decided against implementing containment efforts. Airports aren’t screening travelers from countries with high numbers of cases and no big public events have been canceled. Those working from home are doing so mainly according to region-wide policies from their multinational corporate employers.