According to official figures, at least 10 doctors and nurses had died in Venezuela by July 29 (6.5% of the total deaths due to the pandemic). A very high percentage if compared to the USA (0.4%), Spain (0.2%), Italy (1.4%), Argentina (1.3%) or Colombia (0.5%)
“The high percentage of deaths of doctors associated with COVID-19 in Venezuela only has two possible explanations: either inappropriate protection makes them the most exposed doctors on the planet or the official number of deaths are underreported. Both are terrifying,” Twitter user Adriana Morán, said on July 27th, 2020. A similar concern was expressed by journalist Milagros Socorro in an opinion article on the website La Gran Aldea:
Is this an exaggeration? An oversize of the criticism of the government of Nicolás Maduro that is usually reflected in the social networks of a highly polarized country like Venezuela? Not exactly. There are official and unofficial reasons to worry about the numbers of health professionals (doctors and nurses) who died in 2019 during the COVID-19 pandemic in the country with the worst healthcare system in Latin America, according to the John Hopkins University (USA) Global Health Security Index.
Workers with high exposure
It is not unusual for healthcare professionals to go from healers to patients during a pandemic like COVID-19 – they are up to 10 times more at risk of getting infected than any other human being (study by Alberta Health Services of Canada). During a past epidemic, that of the previous SARS-CoV coronavirus that killed 774 people between 2002 and 2004, approximately 20% of those infected were doctors and nurses. They spend a great time in health centers – which are closed and more dangerous spaces – with patients who have a high viral load. Even if they use the appropriate biosafety equipment, it is difficult to comply with all preventive measures all the time. In Spain, until July 17, 2020, 52,700 of the 260,255 COVID-19 official infected people were members of the health staff (20.25%).
At the same time, however, the percentage of deceased doctors and nurses has been relatively low in many countries hit by the pandemic. It is assumed that doctors and nurses are no longer working if they are elder – the highest risk group, together with hypertensive, obese, diabetic, etc. – and also, theoretically, they should be healthier than the general population. On the other hand, they are part of a more controlled demographic group, since they work in hospitals, clinic centers, and laboratories where the screening tests are taken. Perhaps they have a lower underreporting of cases than the rest of the population.
Unlike the most common statistics (infections, deaths, recovered patients, etc.), there is not a comprehensive, updated, and uniform measurement of health professionals exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we can make some comparisons on a sample of official data from representative countries.
Venezuela
(Data until July 29, 2020)
Total infections: 17,158
Total number of infected health professionals: unknown
Total deaths: 154
Total of deceased health professionals: at least 10 (*)
Percentage of health professionals among the total of deceased: 6.49%
(*) This figure is based on the individual data on the deceased provided in the daily reports that the government of Nicolás Maduro has released on television and social networks, and that can be reviewed in this list elaborated by the team of EsPaja.com. Although there are several observations to be made:
- This official data is incomplete: for example, in 42% of the cases, government spokespersons have not indicated the profession of the deceased. This individualized breakdown of deaths is also not available on the website of the Ministry of Health, for the purpose of its checking and verification.
- On July 10, 2020, Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez identified a 66-year-old deceased man from the state of Bolívar as an “entrepreneur”. However, the governor of that entity, Justo Noguera Pietri, later confirmed that he was a doctor.
- The 40-year-old Caracas firefighter and officially reported deceased number 70 (July 7, 2020) was also working as a paramedic, according to press reports. So, with these last two cases, the number of deceased health professionals could reach 12.
Spain
(Data until July 17, 2020)
Total infections: 260,255
Total deaths: 28,441
Total infected health professionals: at least 52,700
Total of deceased health professionals: 63
Percentage of health professionals among the total of deceased: 0.22%
Source: RTVE.es
As observed in the case of Spain, despite its high number of health professionals infected with the new coronavirus (20% of all infections), the percentage of deaths among doctors and nurses has been much lower (0.12% ), compared to the presumed general mortality (10.93%). Knowing that, in the latter case, there may be a higher underreporting (unreported cases).
U.S
(Data until July 28, 2020)
Total infections: 4,280,135
Total deaths: 147,672
Total infected health professionals: 114,529
Total deceased health professionals: 574
Percentage of health professionals among the total of deceased: 0.39%
Source: CDC.gov
Argentina
(Data until July 12, 2020)
Total infections: 100,166
Total deaths: 1,845
Total infected health professionals: 5,676
Total of deceased health professionals: 24
Percentage of health professionals among the total deaths: 1.30%
Source: newspaper La Nación, on official data
Colombia
(Data until July 22, 2020)
Total infections: 218,428
Total deaths: 7,373
Total infected health professionals: 4,067
Total deceased health professionals: 34
Percentage of health professionals among the total of deceased: 0.46%
Source: newspaper Marca, on official data
Italy
(Data until May 4, 2020)
Total infections: 97,688
Total deaths: 10,781
Total infected health professionals: 8,358
Total deceased health professionals: 149
Percentage of health professionals among the total deaths: 1.38%
Source: Alberta Health Services Canada study on official data
Unofficially, the percentage would be even higher
According to research of Amnesty International released on July 13, 2020, Russia (545 deceased doctors and nurses) and the United Kingdom (540) were the countries with the most health professionals killed by the COVID-19 pandemic in the world. The report did not include the total number of health personnel infected in these countries. However, we know that on July 12, 2020, 11,335 and 44,830 people were killed by the pandemic in Russia and the United Kingdom, respectively. That would give us percentages of 4.81% and 1.20% of health personnel killed by COVID-19 over the total deaths of each country. In both cases, the percentages are lower than in Venezuela.
On Monday, July 27, 2020, the doctor and exiled deputy of the National Assembly, José Manuel Olivares, estimated an unofficial data of deceased patients superior to the one released that day by the government of Nicolás Maduro: 275 deaths associated with COVID-19 as opposed to the official figures (142).
As for the deceased doctors and nurses, Olivares exposed similar figures to those released by the NGO Médicos Unidos Venezuela (United Doctors Venezuela): at least 30, with an estimated number of infected people of 120 (for Tuesday, July 28, the number of fatalities of Médicos Unidos Venezuela had already increased to 34 health professionals).
Therefore, unofficially, the percentage of health personnel killed by the pandemic in Venezuela could be even higher than the official one: 10.91%.
It is not an exaggeration to affirm that Venezuela has a high percentage of doctors and nurses killed by COVID-19, in proportion to the overall national number of deaths, if a comparison is made with a sample from other countries affected by the new coronavirus.
Cover photo: protest of doctors in Venezuela, AFP agency
Translated by: Pascual Díaz
