By Daniel Nardini

While America is still trying to deal with how to restart the country amidst the corona virus epidemic, Ecuador is seeing its health care system virtually collapsing as that country is being ravaged by corona virus. The worse affected area in the country is Guayaquil. According to medical staff in that city, as soon as someone dies their bodies are taken away as fast as possible so that the bed can be disinfected for the next patient. There are so many bodies that the morgues cannot take them fast enough, so people’s bodies are stored in giant refrigeration units until morgues can properly dispose of their remains. In many cases, bodies have been stored in bathrooms for lack of space. Almost all other hospital equipment had been cleared so that whole wards can be freed up for the use of ventilators to help corona virus patients breathe and hopefully live.

This statistic is frightening; Ecuador now has 24,000 confirmed cases of the corona virus of which 900 have died. Even though Ecuador, like all other countries in South America, had closed its borders to prevent the virus from spreading in that country, it is still spreading. Like in the United States, many Ecuadorans who have had prior health issues are the ones who are dying from the corona virus because it pushes their compromised immune system over the edge. Like in the United States, the epidemic is not over. Eventually, the nightmare will end, and Ecuador will rebound. However, the wounds will remain as those still alive will remember their loved ones who perished in the epidemic. To all Ecuadorans, I extend my sincerest heartfelt sympathies.