After spending 23 days in bed due to COVID- 19, Jose Angel Texca Gonzalez appreciated all of the precautions in place upon his return to work at Autotek Puebla in Mexico at the end of May.
The Magna tool-and-die maker ticked off a long list of safety measures, including several temperature checks a day for employees, social distancing, continuous sanitizing of tools and carts, and assigned seats on the company bus for better contact tracing.
“I really feel safe at work,” Gonzalez said. “After what I went through, I’m thankful for all of the protocols. All of those steps reassured my wife Maria Guadalupe, too.”
Gonzalez’s wife is an emergency-room nurse at the University Hospital of Puebla with 19 years of experience. She cared for her husband at home after he spent three days in the hospital with pneumonia and kidney problems caused by the virus.
“She asked about the safety protocols at the plant,” Gonzalez said. “When I told her what they were, she wasn’t worried anymore. As a nurse, she even gave some recommendations to the division and they took her seriously.”
Those simple recommendations include washing hands before and after using the restroom, sanitizing the toilet seat before using, and showering first before coming into contact with family members after work. Even though he’s feeling well now, Gonzalez follows these rules before hugging his three young children, Dominic, Anell and Angel Santiago when he returns home.
After watching other patients in the hospital lose their lives to COVID-19, Gonzalez also has recommendations for his Magna co- workers. He spelled them out in a video message filmed at work after his return.
“This is not a game,” he said. “I’m saying this because I’ve suffered. I know some of you think the new rules like wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing are an over-reaction. But I’d rather obey them than spread the virus and cause the death of a family member.”
This is not a game, I’m saying this because I’ve suffered. I know some of you think the new rules like wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing are an over- reaction. But I’d rather obey them than spread the virus and cause the death of a family member
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