Buenos Aires Landscapes

Afraid to travel to Buenos Aires?

When the first cases of swine influenza appeared in Mexico in late April this year, we were not in Argentina. We come back on May 2nd, and at the Ezeiza airport all staff were wearing masks. The feeling of panic was already in the air. At that time, Argentina had suspended all flights coming from Mexico, and there was no case of the flu here. 

Over the days, the first case of influenza A was confirmed in the country, and from there, the panic only grew. After almost 20 days, the Argentine government has authorized the flights coming from Mexico and, on May 20, a flight with Argentines who were hindered to come back, arrived.

On the newspapers and on television, the flu was the main subject. The news were repeated ad infinitum. At the drug stores, the intensive purchase of barbijos (masks) and the alcohol gel for cleaning hands finished all stocks, .

On June 5, I left the country again, towards Brazil. At the Ezeiza airport, all policemen and staff were wearing masks, including the beautiful girls of the Duty Free. Inside the airplane, the flight attendans were without masks, only about 4 passengers were. In Brazil, things were running smoothly, one or other person with mask, but in general, all very calm.

I returned to Buenos Aires on June 15. At the plane each passenger received a statement which had to be filled with our address information, cities we had passed by in the last 2 weeks, if we had some symptoms of flu, and our seat on the plane. On this particular day, we were at the first row of the sardine class, or tourist if you prefer. After the plane landed and after the first class had finished putting their cardigan, looking in the mirror, brushing their teeth, applying lipstick and finally decided to leave the airplane, we were the first in line of the least wealthys. We quickly crossed the path toward immigration, and after descending the escalator, there were about 10 people waiting for us, all of them dressed in white and wearing masks, one of them with a video camera pointing to a place with an “X” on the ground. I was the first to be approached. Without knowing what was happening, a lady asked for my statement that was filled on the plane, gave a look that took about 20 seconds and said to me stand above the “X” on the ground. I didn’t know anything about that, because we were not advised on the plane of these new procedures. I started getting a bit outraged by the situation. After standing in front of the camera and feeling completely invaded, I left and asked what was all that about. I can not remember if anyone answered me, but I walked to see the other side of the camera and its function: a color sensor that showed the body temperature of the person, something like, “So you have fever? You may have swine flu, please stand on the side …” While I looked the camera, one second later I was approached by another masked woman who ordered to show my hands, dripping “something” over them (I guess it was alcohol gel, because I was not informed of what it was) and she asked if I was pregnant and when I would leave the country. Oh, please! After the stress caused by those people who may be well-intentioned, but completely unprepared, I went to the residents queue, completely displeased. Looking back, all passengers of the plane were passing through the same confused process.

More than 20 days have passed since then and much information is still only speculations. Some days ago, the Health Minister Juan Manzur said the number of cases of Influenza A in Argentina could be up to 100,000 (number which only came to the attention of the people after the elections, before that it was up to 5,000 cases). Today there are a total of 55 people killed by the flu. The widespread feeling of panic is still a fact, and it is estimated that the the peak of influenza A activity will be in the next two weeks (two weeks ago the same estimate was the same).

Argentina even has the first case of a person passing the flu to a pig! In a pig farm in the north of Buenos Aires were found chanchitos (little pigs) infected!

There are experts who say that only people infected with the virus must use the masks, but that is not what is happening.

But sometimes good things can happen in the middle of chaos. The government finally has decided to disinfect public transportation, which has long needed a very good cleaning.

To conclude, the video below (in Spanish) says it all:

sepphora | July 6, 2009 | 12:14 pm | General