In 2019, before COVID, acute respiratory infections were much higher than what we are identifying in 2025. In 2024, this black line was between the green... it went up and down; it mainly stayed on the limit, in a safe area concerning respiratory infections behavior. This period has not seen an increase as spring approaches, which is the season of highest infection or respiratory problems associated with allergies, particles, or viruses, explained Alma Rosa Marroquín, Health Secretary in the region.
Marroquín pointed out that the circulation of viruses, especially in March, is very high. Then we have cases of otitis, ear infections... again, the last 10 years in blue, green, and red. The orange is from 2019 that we compare to pre-COVID, and the black is from 2024, which is much lower than in 2019 and... well, here we are in 2025.
The official detailed that it is not that there is a decrease, but that the behavior presented is lower than what was in 2019. What we want to communicate, Marroquín stated, is not that health authorities do not want to say that pollution does not have an effect on health. 'I mean, there is international evidence that says so, what we are trying to communicate is that it is a problem we have had for 20, 30 years, perhaps more.'
Marroquín reported that actions are being taken like never before. 'We have worked collaboratively, and soon we will have information on those points; these are studies that take time, and we have been monitoring them closely.' She revealed that some studies are being conducted by different universities, especially the Autonomous University of Nuevo León and the University Hospital, which are still in process of final data.
Monterrey is a city where pollution has always prevailed, for 20, 30 years or more, the Health Secretary maintains constant monitoring of diseases related to pollution, thus the state agency denied an increase in conditions such as otitis, asthma, or conjunctivitis. This, even though the monitoring stations have registered mostly extremely poor air quality.
Alma Rosa Marroquín, Health Secretary in the region, showed graphs of pollution-disease behavior over the last 10 years. 'And in blue and green, we say we are fine; when we enter the red, there is some concern, and when we do not exit the graph, it means we are out of the parameters of the last 10 years,' she indicated.
