Many of the volunteers from Valencia and surrounding areas who went this Saturday to the towns most affected by DANA have done so with a mask and gloves, after several messages have circulated on social networks warning about the infections that can be contracted in the lands in the presence of corpses. “Corpses in themselves are not infectious agents,” clarifies the director of the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Catalonia (Imelec), Eneko Barbería. Given the fears of a possible spread of diseases, the director of Imelec reiterates that corpses corpses of the deceased are not infectious. “We are not talking about a Covid epidemic, which the bodies themselves would not be.” For this to be the case, he specifies, the person must have suffered from them in life and, according to the World Health Organization, except in cases of hemorrhagic fevers and cholera, corpses generally do not transmit diseases. «The bodies would be dangerous, in any case, for the people who manipulate them, and they do so with the necessary personal protective equipment. What is necessary to control is the water, to guarantee that the supply is controlled.” Óscar Zurriaga, outgoing president of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology and Public Health and professor at the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health of the University of Valencia. “Talking about cholera or typhus is out of place, there is no immediate risk,” emphasizes this epidemiologist, who emphasizes that the situation in the affected areas is not comparable to that which would occur in other countries with fewer resources. Related News standard Yes The neighbors add masks to their teams on the fourth day of cleaning for fear of infections Gerard Bono They enter areas with stagnant water since Tuesday, where they do not even know if corpses can be found About the use of the mask, a message that It is also being repeated on social networks and that some volunteers have already begun to apply. This epidemiologist points out that its use is indicated for infections that are transmitted by air, but this is not the case. “It can be a good measure to avoid getting your face covered in mud, which gets everywhere,” he says. Nor does he consider that the use of hydroalcoholic gel makes sense in a context in which there is no water and hands are stained with mud. The greatest risk, Zurriaga points out, lies in the volunteers and people who work on the accumulated mud who may get injured. “It’s mud, there’s a lot of dirt in it,” he points out, so it’s important that this mud doesn’t come into contact with the wounds so they don’t get infected. In this sense, he emphasizes that volunteers must wear long pants and long sleeves to avoid getting hurt. «I have seen some volunteers wearing shorts and short-sleeved t-shirts and tank tops. Furniture and appliances are being manipulated and in these situations it is easy to cause injuries.” “Common sense must be applied.” Regarding the diseases that can be transmitted by the corpses that are being recovered, Zurriaga agrees with the director of Imelec that the possibility “is small.” “In themselves, the corpses do not cause problems, but rather bad odors due to decomposition,” he insists, although he warns that the water from which these bodies are rescued should not be used. “You just have to use common sense and drink water from the supply or bottled water if there isn’t any,” he says. This epidemiologist also remembers that in the province of Valencia there have been many floods and they have never caused an epidemic, like the great Turia flood of 1957, in which 300 people died. “The risk of communicable infections is, at this time, low. », concludes Zurriaga, who insists on drinking bottled water, not using water from puddles and not using tap water if it contains dirt. The greatest risk, he maintains, are vulnerable people: the sick, very young children and the elderly, who should be the first to be evacuated. Recommendations from the GeneralitatFor its part, the General Directorate of Public Health of the Generalitat Valenciana has sent the city councils a series of recommendations to take into account after a flood, among which are that children, pregnant women and people with respiratory problems, such as asthma, or with a weakened immune system, do not participate in cleaning tasks. For cleaning tasks, the document says, it is recommended to turn off gas and electricity, protect your nose, mouth and eyes and wear long-sleeved pants and shirts, protective gloves and rubber boots, among other tips. The guide also emphasizes the recommendation not to eat any food that may have been in direct contact with flood water, except for cans and waterproof containers, which should be dried for at least 1 hour before opening or storing. In addition, the General Directorate of Pharmacy has asked citizens not to donate medications, since their supply must follow the established channels to ensure their quality and traceability to patients.
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