Coronavirus in Medellin, Colombia

By sealodgeg9

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Apr 06, 2020 Update

We Asked: What is currently happening with regard to the Coronavirus outbreak in your area? Please provide as much detail as possible. He replied...

DATELINE April 4, 2020, Medellín, Colombia.

It's Getting Real. We're feeling a little more downbeat this week. There's been a lot of gloomy pandemic news lately: By some estimates, a third of humanity is now under some type of movement restriction. The global food supply chain is holding up for now but is on shaky ground. It's been hard to shake the horrifying images from Guayaquil, Ecuador, a city that has been completely overwhelmed by COVID-19. It seems an anomaly, since the rest of Ecuador and most other South American cities and countries are managing the crisis reasonably well.

How People are Coping

We Asked: How are people handling the situation in your area? He replied...

One glimmer of hope is that Colombia seems to be keeping its curve relatively flat, compared to other countries and the hockey stick that is the U.S. Here's an informal chart I found that compares the rise of cases in a select group of countries (the huge caveat, of course, is that these are KNOWN cases and based on the countries' reporting accuracy). Colombia is the blue line at the bottom:

covid-graph Expatting in a COVID-19 World: Log Entry 3 Colombia Here in Medellín, the city is continuing to mobilize its hospitals and healthcare resources for a coming avalanche of cases. Two stories in today's news: The mayor's office is working to recruit 12,000 medical personnel from other specialties and retrain them, with online courses, on how to manage hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The government of South Korea is sending a shipment of respirators and other supplies to Colombia and sharing their expertise and experience with the coronavirus. What a concept – countries cooperating and sharing with each other!

Changing Conditions as coronavirus Spreads

We Asked: How has the situation changed as the Coronavirus has spread? He replied...

Colombia: In one week, official case numbers have jumped from 608 to 1,406, and from 6 to 32 sad deaths.

Most of the new fatalities are men and women over age 50. I'd wager many of them are abuelos and abuelas, beloved by their children and grandchildren. Hopefully none of them died alone, with no loved ones to mourn or remember them. There are also numerous younger people, including a 19-year-old from Barranquilla. People who had hopes and dreams, with their whole lives ahead of them. May they all rest in peace and their friends and families find comfort.

Government Response

We Asked: Describe how the government of the country about which you are reporting is handling this situation. He replied...

The mayor's office is working to recruit 12,000 medical personnel from other specialties and retrain them, with online courses, on how to manage hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The government of South Korea is sending a shipment of respirators and other supplies to Colombia and sharing their expertise and experience with the coronavirus. What a concept – countries cooperating and sharing with each other!

Government Response with Regard to Expats

We Asked: Describe how your home country's government has handled the outbreak situation with regards to its expatriate citizens. He replied...

Our report on our blog site

Supplies and Shortages

We Asked: Is there a shortage of supplies in your location? He replied...

There was on flour and hand sanitizer.

Lockdown & Passing the Time

We Asked: Are you staying home? If so, how are you passing the time? He replied...

Yes. Catching up on projects, reading, Netflix, studying Spanish.

Public Healthcare & Public Hospitals

We Asked: Are you enrolled in the public healthcare system where you live? Do you feel that the public hospitals are handling or preparing for the Coronavirus outbreak effectively? He replied...

Yes. Far superior to the US system. Colombia is ranked 22 best health care system in the world by WHO. US is ranked 35!

Colombia is mobilizing an additional 12,0000 medical personnel and field hospitals are up and running at several convention centers and Malls around the country.

Private Health Insurance & Private Hospitals

We Asked: Do you have private health insurance? If you have private insurance, does this give you access to private hospitals? Are private hospitals or clinics better prepared, less prepared, or the same? Please explain. He replied...

We have Public health Insurance with easy access and private medical facilities and doctors if need be. They all have had time to prepare and stock up. We are at least a month away for the peak of the virus,

Hospital of Choice for Coronavirus Treatment

We Asked: Would you choose a public or private hospital if you needed treatment for Coronavirus? Why? If there is a specific hospital that you would go to in the event of severe illness? Which hospital and why? He replied...

What ever our Colombian friends and our private doctor suggest.

Returning Home

We Asked: Are you considering returning to your home country due to the Coronavirus? Would this be a temporary move or a permanent repatriation? Please explain. He replied...

Not in a million years!

Advice for People Outside of Medellin, Colombia

We Asked: If you live in an area already heavily affected by coronavirus, what advice would you share with others elswhere in the world who may be facing the same challenges in the future. He replied...

N/A

How Government is Treating Expats

We Asked: How is the government of the country where you are currently living treating expats during this time? Have there been any changes or extensions made in terms of residency and and other visa renewals, applications and requirements? Has access to public healthcare been eased? Please describe any types of changes (positive and negative) that are taking place. He replied...

No different. We are treated as citizens.