Tlalnepantla, Estado de México — The general director of IMSS reports that 20 doctors from a hospital in Tlalnepantla have tested positive for COVID-19. Zoé Robledo, director General of Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) says that there is no outbreak in the hospital and notes that the infection came from an outside source.
On Wednesday, Robledo explained that 20 doctors from the IMSS Regional General Hospital Clinic 72 in Tlalnepantla, State of Mexico are infected with COVID-19 in what would be the second contagion in mass numbers of health personnel in the country.
“The samples were taken from all the doctors with all the contact studies and, in fact, there are 20 confirmed doctors, but not because the outbreak started in the hospital,” said Robledo who explained that it began March 10 when three cases of coronavirus were initially detected in the hospital corresponding to a patient and two doctors who had no contact with each other.
He added that “a complete study signed by Dr. Juan Manuel Lira, by Dr. Concepción Grajales …was carried out several weeks ago, concluding that the outbreak did not originate within the medical facility, but came from abroad.”
Robledo denied similarities with another outbreak registered in Monclova, Coahuila where 29 doctors were infected, one of whom has already died. “I reiterate that unlike the case of Clinic 7 in Monclova, Coahuila where it is demonstrated that there was an internal outbreak in the hospital, Clinic 72 is not the same situation,” he stressed.
The positive workers and their suspicious contacts from Clinic 72 are under supervision and have not worked in the hospital unit following protocol. Robledo says the situation has not affected substantive areas of the hospital.
