[Español abajo] (Saturday,10 April) As I write this, we, the Old Farts, are sitting at the women’s public hospital in Managua waiting to see if we keel over after getting our first COVID-19 vaccine. We are so excited and thrilled... not only did it go well... it was easy, organized, and safe. Every person attending us was friendly, kind, and very efficient.
A friend called us this morning and told us that the lines for vaccines had gone down and for us to head over and so we did. |
| First vaccination for the Old Farts |
We got the AstraZeneca vaccine .The Nicaraguan government first vaccinated all the seriously at-risk people... People with kidney failure and on dialysis, people undergoing cancer treatments, etc. with the Sputnik vaccine. Now the targeted population are those over 60 years of age.
Earlier in the week, I read an article in The Guardian that a friend had told me about and was appalled by what I read. The article certainly did not reflect what I have experienced in Nicaragua as we live here and have weathered the pandemic.
Nicaragua has had low numbers of cases... Why?
1. Almost all businesses and government buildings that are enclosed require masks, alcohol for cleaning hands and shopping carts, and temperatures are taken before entering.
2. The population of Nicaragua is young compared to... say... the U. S. A.
3. Most houses are opened to the air. In regard to many other nations, most Nicaraguans do not have air conditioning.
4. At the beginning of the pandemic, health workers went house to house explaining about the virus and how to protect yourself and family - they made nearly 5 million home visits.
5. Despite what The Guardian said, there have not been mass demonstrations. The normally huge gathering in the Plaza on the 19th of July last year was instead broadcast virtually, and people were encouraged to celebrate at home with the slogan "every house is a Plaza."
Nicaragua has had limited testing like most of the world, but when Becca thought she might have COVID, she was tested. Read her blog about getting tested.
As in every country, there probably have been more deaths due to COVID-19 than are reported, but absolutely nothing like what The Guardian reported. Why do I think that? Because we run a health clinic that has its fingers on the pulse of a crowded and poverty-stricken community. Our Nueva Vida Clinic staff has only seen a few deaths that could have had the virus as a contributing factor along with diabetes, hypertension, and kidney failure.
The Center for Disease Control reports that deaths in the U.S. due to Covid-19 are likely to be 35% higher than has been reported. Many people everywhere decide not to go get medical care.
Earlier in the week, I read an article in The Guardian that a friend had told me about and was appalled by what I read. The article certainly did not reflect what I have experienced in Nicaragua as we live here and have weathered the pandemic.
Nicaragua has had low numbers of cases... Why?
1. Almost all businesses and government buildings that are enclosed require masks, alcohol for cleaning hands and shopping carts, and temperatures are taken before entering.
2. The population of Nicaragua is young compared to... say... the U. S. A.
3. Most houses are opened to the air. In regard to many other nations, most Nicaraguans do not have air conditioning.
4. At the beginning of the pandemic, health workers went house to house explaining about the virus and how to protect yourself and family - they made nearly 5 million home visits.
5. Despite what The Guardian said, there have not been mass demonstrations. The normally huge gathering in the Plaza on the 19th of July last year was instead broadcast virtually, and people were encouraged to celebrate at home with the slogan "every house is a Plaza."
Nicaragua has had limited testing like most of the world, but when Becca thought she might have COVID, she was tested. Read her blog about getting tested.
As in every country, there probably have been more deaths due to COVID-19 than are reported, but absolutely nothing like what The Guardian reported. Why do I think that? Because we run a health clinic that has its fingers on the pulse of a crowded and poverty-stricken community. Our Nueva Vida Clinic staff has only seen a few deaths that could have had the virus as a contributing factor along with diabetes, hypertension, and kidney failure.
The Center for Disease Control reports that deaths in the U.S. due to Covid-19 are likely to be 35% higher than has been reported. Many people everywhere decide not to go get medical care.
So why is the Nicaraguan government getting such bad press regarding health care?
Republican strategist Karl Rove includes in his playbook how to win using the strategy of attacking an opponent's strength. "It is simple: In a political environment where perception often trumps policy, mount early challenges to your opponent's strongest attributes to raise questions and create an alternative image in the minds of voters."
Among the many achievements of the Sandinista government over the last 15 years, health care - including the successful response to COVID - is one of this government's greatest achievements. So why would a news media known for being left-leaning report such erroneous information?
Well, when I asked our Community members on our front porch, Becca said, "sloppy reporting. They take information from someone that they trust and never check the sources."
Among the many achievements of the Sandinista government over the last 15 years, health care - including the successful response to COVID - is one of this government's greatest achievements. So why would a news media known for being left-leaning report such erroneous information?
Well, when I asked our Community members on our front porch, Becca said, "sloppy reporting. They take information from someone that they trust and never check the sources."
When it comes to Nicaragua, this is what we see all the way from PBS/NPR to Democracy Now to The Guardian... they have people they trust within a country and never come to Nicaragua to ask the people themselves or see with their own eyes. Sloppy journalism indeed.
And such sloppy work plays right into the Karl Rove handbook which - I think - should appall their editors.
-Kathleen
[English above] (Sábado 10 de abril) Mientras escribo esto, nosotros, los Viejos, estamos sentados en el hospital público dedicado a la salud de la mujer en Managua esperando a ver si nos derrumbamos después de recibir nuestra primera vacuna COVID-19. Estamos muy emocionados ... no solo salió bien todo pero fue fácil, organizado y seguro. Todas las personas que nos atendieron fueron amables y muy eficientes.
Un amigo nos llamó esta mañana y nos dijo que las filas para las vacunas se habían reducido y que nos dirigiéramos al hospital y así lo hicimos en carrera.
|
| Primera vacuna para nosotros los Viejos |
Recibimos la vacuna AstraZeneca. El gobierno nicaragüense primero vacunó a todas las personas en grave riesgo ... Personas con insuficiencia renal y en diálisis, personas en tratamiento contra el cáncer, etc. con la vacuna Sputnik. Ahora la población objetivo es los mayores de 60 años.
A principios de semana, leí un artículo en The Guardian del que me había hablado un amigo y estaba consternada por lo que leí. El artículo ciertamente no refleja lo que he experimentado en Nicaragua, nosotros que vivimos aquí y hemos vivido la pandemia aqui.
Nicaragua ha tenido pocos casos de COVID-19 ... ¿Por qué?
1. Casi todas las empresas y edificios gubernamentales que están cerrados requieren mascarillas, alcohol para lavarse las manos y los carritos de compras, y se toman las temperaturas antes de ingresar.
2. La población de Nicaragua es joven en comparación con ... digamos ... los EE. UU.
3. La mayoría de las casas están abiertas al aire. Con respecto a muchas otras naciones, la mayoría de los nicaragüenses no tiene aire acondicionado.
4. Al comienzo de la pandemia, los trabajadores de la salud iban de casa en casa explicando sobre el virus y cómo protegerse y proteger a su familia; hicieron casi 5 millones de visitas domiciliarias.
5. A pesar de lo que dijo The Guardian, no ha habido manifestaciones masivas. En cambio, la gran celebracion en la Plaza el 19 de julio del año pasado se transmitió virtualmente y se animó a la gente a celebrar en casa con el lema "cada casa es una plaza".
Nicaragua ha tenido pruebas limitadas como la mayoría de los paises del mundo, pero cuando Becca pensó que podría tener COVID, le hicieron la prueba. Lea su blog sobre la experiencia de hacerse la prueba.
Como en todos los países, probablemente ha habido más muertes por COVID-19 de las que se informan, pero absolutamente nada como lo que informó The Guardian. ¿Por qué pienso eso? Porque manejamos una clínica de salud que tiene en sus dedos el pulso de una comunidad abarrotada y golpeada por la pobreza. Nuestro personal de la Clínica Nueva Vida solo ha visto algunas muertes que podrían haber tenido el virus como un factor contribuyente junto con la diabetes, la hipertensión y la insuficiencia renal.
El Centro para el Control de Enfermedades informa que es probable que las muertes en los EE. UU. debidas a Covid-19 sean un 35% más altas de lo que se ha informado oficialmente. Muchas personas en todas partes deciden no ir a buscar atención médica.
Entonces, ¿por qué el gobierno de Nicaragua está recibiendo tan mala fama en la prensa con respecto a la atención médica?
El republicano Karl Rove incluye en su libro de jugadas cómo ganar usando la estrategia de atacar la fuerza de un oponente. "Es sencillo: en un entorno político donde la percepción a menudo triunfa sobre la política, plantee desafíos tempranos a los atributos más fuertes de su oponente para plantear preguntas y crear una imagen alternativa en la mente de los votantes".
Entre los muchos logros del gobierno sandinista en los últimos 15 años, la atención médica, incluida la respuesta exitosa al COVID, es uno de los mayores logros de este gobierno. Entonces, ¿por qué un medio noticioso conocido por su tendencia a la izquierda reportaría información tan errónea?
Bueno, cuando les pregunté a los miembros de nuestra comunidad en nuestro porche, Becca dijo: "informes descuidados. Toman información de alguien en quien confían y nunca verifican las fuentes".
Cuando se trata de Nicaragua, esto es lo que vemos desde PBS / NPR hasta Democracy Now y The Guardian ... tienen personas en las que confían dentro de un país y nunca vienen a Nicaragua para preguntarle a la gente o ver con sus propios ojos. De hecho, periodismo descuidado.
Y un trabajo tan descuidado encaja perfectamente en el manual de Karl Rove que, creo, debería horrorizar a sus editores.
-Kathleen
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