Escape The Swine Flu and Head to Cabo San Lucas, Los Cabos, Mexico
Swine Flu - Influenza 2009 A (H1N1) Infection
Escape the swine flu and head to Cabo San Lucas, Los Cabos, México. While negative news stories continue to caution against travel to México, near-daily reports released by the World Health Organization, Mexican secretary of health, the Department of Homeland Security, and numerous tracking websites paint a different, more positive and specific picture.
At present there have been zero reported cases of the influenza A(H1N1) infection, more commonly known as the swine flu, in all of Baja California Sur, the state encompassing both Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. That´s more than Los Angeles, New York, or much of the United States can say, as demonstrated by this interactive and regularly updated map on the Pan American Health Organization’s website. The nearest suspected swine flu cases are in the northern end of Baja California, a thousand miles away from the sun and sand of Los Cabos.
Editor's Note: 16 May 2009 - There is now one confirmed case, a woman who tested positive for the virus and was successfully treated, in San José del Cabo, Los Cabos. Read more at Swine Flu Los Cabos - update 16 May 2009.
For those unfamiliar with Mexican geography, the state of Baja California (sometimes referred to as Baja California Norte) is the northernmost state in the Baja Peninsula and contains cities such as Mexicali, Ensenada, and Tijuana. Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo (collectively known as Los Cabos), meanwhile, are located in the state of Baja California Sur, at the southern tip of the peninsula.
As the story develops and health officials across the globe gather new information, it is becoming clearer and clearer that it is, indeed, safe to travel, especially to destinations like Los Cabos. On May 1, the World Health Organization, which has been tracking the spread of the virus worldwide, released a statement saying there was no rationale for travel restrictions, noting that such action “would have very little effect on stopping the virus from spreading, but would be highly disruptive to the global community.” Earlier that week, in a speech April 30, President Barack Obama opened by reassuring Americans of the sophisticated systems already in place in both the United States and México to counter any new flu strain. And, in fact, new statements by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano suggest concerns about the swine flu may be largely unwarranted. On Monday, Napolitano said the virus, which sparked fear worldwide, is no more dangerous than the common flu: "What the epidemiologists are seeing now with this particular strain…is that the severity of the disease, the severity of the flu—how sick you get—is not stronger than regular seasonal flu."
This is a sentiment echoed by Los Cabos’ large network of health professionals. “People overreacted,” says Dr. James McAllister, a board-certified doctor who works with many area hotels and provides house calls. “Just like everywhere else, we have the flu every year. Thirty-five thousand people die from the flu every year in the United States. People latched on to [the swine flu] because it’s new, but their concerns were unfounded.” McAllister sees no reason why people should put their travel plans on hold. “If it were my family, I would tell them that there is no particular threat here. There are no suspected cases of this flu—or any influenza, as far as I know—in the state.”
Dr. Alma Vazquez Lomas, who owns and operates Cabo Medical Care, says people shouldn’t be afraid to continue with their daily lives. “Go to restaurants. Go to the beach. It’s the same as with any other illness. Just wash your hands and use hand sanitizer. If you’re worried, don’t shake hands or give kisses.” Vazquez Lomas says people worried about the swine flu would benefit from a trip to Los Cabos. “The sun is sure to make you feel better.”
While Los Cabos has thus far been spared from any cases of the H1N1 virus—and the Mexican government believes that its cases have peaked—health officials, business owners, and all those associated with the tourism trade continue to take every possible precaution to ensure tourists´ and their own well-being. That includes both education and preventative measures.
At the Villa del Palmar resort, a branch of the Villa Group vacation-ownership properties on Médano Beach, and other Cabo San Lucas, Los Cabos hotels, guests are being greeted with the traditional welcome as well as a letter acknowledging possible concerns and outlining management’s efforts to address them. Dr. Lenin Paul Gaxiola Leyva, a general practitioner with the Centro Médico Cabo San Lucas and one of four on-call doctors for the Villa Group’s employees and guests, stresses the fact that there has not been one single confirmed case in the entire state. Still, he says, the hotel is not taking any chances. Any employee reporting flu-like symptoms has been immediately treated, tested, and sent home. And all employees have received additional training as well as masks and gloves to ensure everyone’s safety.
While the swine flu is a new virus, it is still the flu, and people should employ those lessons their mothers taught them while growing up: Wash your hands. Cover your mouth when you cough. Use a tissue when you sneeze and dispose of it immediately. And avoid physical contact with those who are clearly ill. As long as you follow those simple rules and remember to bring along your common sense, there is no reason you shouldn’t enjoy a fabulous and safe trip to Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo in the Los Cabos region of Baja California Sur.
By Ashley Alvarado - 05 May 2009 - www.LosCabosGuide.com
For more information on the A(H1N1) virus, please visit our Swine Flu updates page with more links. With all the attention in the media, we are tying to focus on reports that impact the Los Cabos area, or that provide beneficial facts and reports about the swine flu outbreak.
