Nicaragua ’s Covid story far from truth | Letter

The country should not be held up as a shining example in its response to the pandemic, writesDr Hilary Francis, who points to the failure to provide accurate data and firing of health workersJohn Perry (Letters, 31 December) suggests that we should learn from the Nicaraguan government ’s management of Covid. He doesn’t mention that 700 Nicaraguan health professionals wrote anopen letter begging the government to acknowledge the extent of the crisis, or that at least 10 health workers have been fired forcriticising the government response. In the absence of accurate government data, an independent citizen observatory has been established, which attempts to keep track of the rate of infection. They estimate 11,935 cases in the period to 23 December, nearly double the official number.On 21 December, Nicaragua ’s national assembly passed a law that gives President Daniel Ortega the right to unilaterally declare that citizens are “traitors to the homeland” andban them from running for office. The new legislation ensures that elections, scheduled for November 2021, will not be free and fair. There are no lessons to be learned from Ortega ’s policies, but Nicaragua’s descent into dictatorship demands much closer attention.Dr Hilary FrancisNorthumbria UniversityContinue reading...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - January 3, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Letters Tags: Coronavirus Nicaragua Americas Infectious diseases Daniel Ortega Medical research World news Health policy Source Type: news