The Independent Investigation Commission on the Covid-19 Pandemic in Mexico released its final report yesterday. This is the pro bono work of recognized specialists in different fields of knowledge coordinated by Jaime Sepúlveda. The report’s conclusions must be known and widely discussed. As experts emphasize, it is necessary to “learn so as not to repeat, evaluate to understand and recommend to make Mexico stronger and more resilient.” I offer a 30-point summary of the Commission’s findings.
1. Excess deaths from the pandemic were 808,619.
2. Of those excess deaths, nearly four in ten (37 percent) are due to failures in government management. 300 thousand deaths could have been avoided with responsible management.
3. More than 215 thousand boys and girls were orphaned by their father, mother or both due to the pandemic.
4. In addition, 318,100 minors lost the person who was in charge of their care at home.
5. Mexico City, although it only represented 7.3 percent of the country’s population, recorded 24 percent of the excess deaths. The negligence of the authorities, which borders on criminality, also included the capital’s government.
6. The government’s “stay home” directive caused patients to arrive late at hospitals, with dire consequences. 60 percent of the patients were referred to private clinics and pharmacies.
7. 95% of the deceased died alone.
8. Mortality among hospitalized patients was 44 percent, well above the average of 10 to 15 percent in other countries.
9. A total of 4,843 health professionals lost their lives trying to save others. In no other country was the mortality of health care personnel so high. The report recalls that the Mexican government denied priority vaccination of doctors and nurses in the private sector.
10. As a result of the pandemic, life expectancy in the country was reduced by four years between 2019 and 2021.
11. In Mexico City life expectancy fell by 9.2 years, more than double the national average.
12. Based on the number of deaths and their distribution by age, it is estimated that 19.4 million years of life were lost.
13. Of every 100 deaths, 38 were people under 60 years of age, while in the world it was 20 out of every 100.
14. Deaths of people between 35 and 44 years old increased 47 percent compared to the pre-pandemic level.
15. The 45 to 54 year old group saw their mortality increase by 70 percent. Many young adults lost their lives.
16. The maternal mortality rate shot up by 59% between 2019 and 2021.
17. The perinatal death rate increased 18%.
18. Migration to the United States went from 10,000 encounters with border authorities to 70,000 from 2017 to 2023. The predominant migration is no longer of single adults but of entire families leaving Mexico.
19. The lack of access to health services went from 16 percent of the population in 2018 to 39 percent in 2022.
20. There was a de facto privatization of health: in 2018, 43 percent were served in the private sector; for 2021 it was 57 percent.
21. Average household spending on health increased 38 percent between 2018 and 2022.
22. In the poorest decile of the population, the increase in health spending was 74 percent. The poor were the most affected.
23. One million businesses closed permanently.
24. 10.6 million workers lost their jobs.
25. GDP contracted 8.7 percent in 2021. Returning to the pre-pandemic level took 31 months.
26. By October 2022, only 62 percent of the population had received the complete Covid-19 vaccination schedule.
27. At the end of 2022, 100 percent of children under 5 years of age were unvaccinated against Covid-19.
28. Basic non-Covid-19 vaccines for boys and girls decreased drastically. For example, BCG coverage (which protects newborns against tuberculosis) was 28 percent when in 2018 it was 97 percent.
29. School enrollment fell from 30.1 million students to 28.8 million, a drop of 4.2 percent.
30. Mexico was one of 8 countries, among 210 nations, that had such a prolonged school closure: 53 weeks.
Behind these terrible data is the current government, which underestimated the severity of the pandemic, made arbitrary decisions and cut resources to the health sector.
