This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/13/world/americas/mexico-tainted-alcohol-deaths.html

The article has changed 25 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
At Least 70 Dead in Mexico From Drinking Tainted Alcohol At Least 70 Dead in Mexico From Drinking Tainted Alcohol
(21 days later)
MEXICO CITY — At least 70 people have died across Mexico since late April after drinking tainted alcohol, including at least 20 residents of a poor mountain town in the central state Puebla who consumed a cheap, popular moonshine.MEXICO CITY — At least 70 people have died across Mexico since late April after drinking tainted alcohol, including at least 20 residents of a poor mountain town in the central state Puebla who consumed a cheap, popular moonshine.
Mexican officials said the rash of deaths, coming as the nation struggles to contend with the coronavirus pandemic, might be related to the imposition of dry laws and other measures meant to combat the spread of the virus.Mexican officials said the rash of deaths, coming as the nation struggles to contend with the coronavirus pandemic, might be related to the imposition of dry laws and other measures meant to combat the spread of the virus.
As the outbreak has worsened in Mexico, some local and state governments have banned the sale of alcohol to discourage people from gathering in groups or having parties, activities that could further spread the virus.As the outbreak has worsened in Mexico, some local and state governments have banned the sale of alcohol to discourage people from gathering in groups or having parties, activities that could further spread the virus.
In addition, the federal government has declared breweries as nonessential businesses, forcing them to shut down and leading to widespread beer shortages.In addition, the federal government has declared breweries as nonessential businesses, forcing them to shut down and leading to widespread beer shortages.
These restrictions, officials say, may have driven more people than usual to buy alcohol on the black market.These restrictions, officials say, may have driven more people than usual to buy alcohol on the black market.
“It’s possible to begin to speculate that with a smaller supply of regulated alcohol, there’s a larger supply of unregulated alcohol,” said Gady Zabicky Sirot, director of the National Commission Against Addictions in Mexico.“It’s possible to begin to speculate that with a smaller supply of regulated alcohol, there’s a larger supply of unregulated alcohol,” said Gady Zabicky Sirot, director of the National Commission Against Addictions in Mexico.
The country has a robust illegal trade in alcoholic beverages that has either been unlawfully adulterated or produced under unregulated conditions, and people in Mexico occasionally become ill, with some dying, from drinking tainted alcohol.The country has a robust illegal trade in alcoholic beverages that has either been unlawfully adulterated or produced under unregulated conditions, and people in Mexico occasionally become ill, with some dying, from drinking tainted alcohol.
“This is something that happens more or less periodically,” Mr. Zabicky said.“This is something that happens more or less periodically,” Mr. Zabicky said.
The U.S. State Department warns travelers heading to Mexico to be alert to the possibility of inadvertently consuming illegal alcohol. “There have been reports of individuals falling ill or blacking out after consuming unregulated alcohol,” the advisory says.The U.S. State Department warns travelers heading to Mexico to be alert to the possibility of inadvertently consuming illegal alcohol. “There have been reports of individuals falling ill or blacking out after consuming unregulated alcohol,” the advisory says.
But the surge of alcohol-related deaths in the past two weeks is unusually high.But the surge of alcohol-related deaths in the past two weeks is unusually high.
One of the hardest-hit places has been the mountain town Chiconcuautla in the state Puebla. For weeks, the town had kept the coronavirus at bay, with no confirmed cases among its residents, many of whom work in the surrounding fields growing coffee, chiles and tomatoes.One of the hardest-hit places has been the mountain town Chiconcuautla in the state Puebla. For weeks, the town had kept the coronavirus at bay, with no confirmed cases among its residents, many of whom work in the surrounding fields growing coffee, chiles and tomatoes.
But a deathly scourge of another sort arrived this week. Since Monday, 20 people, from a population of about 12,000, have died after drinking a cheap moonshine known as “refino,” officials said.But a deathly scourge of another sort arrived this week. Since Monday, 20 people, from a population of about 12,000, have died after drinking a cheap moonshine known as “refino,” officials said.
The most recent death occurred Wednesday, said Eduardo Soto Velázquez, private secretary to the town’s mayor. All of the victims are thought to have consumed the tainted alcohol on Sunday, which was Mother’s Day in Mexico.The most recent death occurred Wednesday, said Eduardo Soto Velázquez, private secretary to the town’s mayor. All of the victims are thought to have consumed the tainted alcohol on Sunday, which was Mother’s Day in Mexico.
Refino has been around for years, Mr. Soto said, and is especially popular because it is so cheap, costing between 40 and 60 cents per half liter.Refino has been around for years, Mr. Soto said, and is especially popular because it is so cheap, costing between 40 and 60 cents per half liter.
“We’ve never had this problem,” he added. “This has been a very big blow for the town.”“We’ve never had this problem,” he added. “This has been a very big blow for the town.”
A statewide order prohibiting the sale of alcohol in stores and other business has been in effect since mid-April, and the authorities in Chiconcuautla issued a plea on Tuesday to residents to steer clear of intoxicants because of the poisonings.A statewide order prohibiting the sale of alcohol in stores and other business has been in effect since mid-April, and the authorities in Chiconcuautla issued a plea on Tuesday to residents to steer clear of intoxicants because of the poisonings.
Updated June 1, 2020
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.
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.
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.)
More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said.
Yes, but make sure you keep six feet of distance between you and people who don’t live in your home. Even if you just hang out in a park, rather than go for a jog or a walk, getting some fresh air, and hopefully sunshine, is a good idea.
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.
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.
Charity Navigator, which evaluates charities using a numbers-based system, has a running list of nonprofits working in communities affected by the outbreak. You can give blood through the American Red Cross, and World Central Kitchen has stepped in to distribute meals in major cities.
“We call on the population to avoid the sale and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages in the face of this unfortunate situation,” the authorities said in a statement posted on social media.“We call on the population to avoid the sale and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages in the face of this unfortunate situation,” the authorities said in a statement posted on social media.
The deaths were among at least 35 fatalities reported this week in Puebla and in the adjacent state Morelos that were related to the consumption of tainted alcohol, according to the authorities.The deaths were among at least 35 fatalities reported this week in Puebla and in the adjacent state Morelos that were related to the consumption of tainted alcohol, according to the authorities.
At least 28 people died in the western state of Jalisco after drinking a cane alcohol known as “El Chorrito,” officials there said. Federal regulators said the product was contaminated with methanol, also known as wood alcohol.At least 28 people died in the western state of Jalisco after drinking a cane alcohol known as “El Chorrito,” officials there said. Federal regulators said the product was contaminated with methanol, also known as wood alcohol.
Another seven people died in recent days in the state Yucatán on the Gulf of Mexico, after consuming adulterated alcohol, according to local news media.Another seven people died in recent days in the state Yucatán on the Gulf of Mexico, after consuming adulterated alcohol, according to local news media.