Respiratory infections (pic KFOX)

There is the possibility that the school year will not resume next week as the country’s national Children’s Hospital (Hospital Nacional de Niños) continues saturated with cases of respiratory infections.

The medical center blames partly the elimination of sanitary measures against Covid-19, such as mandatory hand washing, social distancing, and the use of masks in all public areas.

By curbing health guidelines abruptly, Costa Ricans were exposed overnight to a large number of viral agents that usually begin their circulation in the rainy season, acknowledged Carlos Jiménez, deputy director of the Children’s Hospital.

“The abrupt suspension of protection measures caused children and adults, in general, to be suddenly exposed to a large number of viral agents that partly explain the current phenomenon (…) Our bodies were not exposed for a long time thanks to the use of the mask and other measures against viruses, we are therefore more vulnerable. I think that the use of masks should be resumed in closed and public spaces, including schools, because otherwise, we will continue with this problem because the viruses are there,” Jiménez told La Republica.

QCOSTARICA