Despite a cold, Martin Mateo did not believe in nCoV and continued to sell tomatoes at Central de Abasto market, Mexico City, and died a few days later.

From mid-April to mid-May, at least 10 tomato sellers at Central de Abasto, the largest Latin American food market located in the Mexican capital, died of nCoV.

"Here we do not believe Covid-19 is a threat. But when we saw one by one we left without a doubt," said Anastasio Ramon Alonso, another longtime tomato seller in the market,

On April 26, Hector Garcia, manager of the Central de Abasto market, announced that nCoV was discovered in a 3.3-square-kilometer wholesale market.

Mateo has been selling goods at Central de Abasto for more than three decades.

Many of Mateo's colleagues also suffer from chronic illnesses, such as David Hernandez, a diabetic who died from nCoV in mid-April. On the other side of Mateo's booth, Isaac Pluma, another diabetic, remained

"The owner tried to persuade Pluma to leave, but he did not agree because he needed money," recalls Enrique González, who works with Pluma.

The deaths caused Pedro Hernandez, a quieter living in the market, to panic because he also had diabetes.

Nearly three-quarters of all deaths due to nCoV in Mexico are associated with underlying conditions, such as hypertension or diabetes.

Before Mexico reported the first cases of nCoV, epidemiologists were concerned about the impact of a pandemic on a country experiencing a nutritional crisis.

After announcing the outbreak in Central de Abasto, Mexican City market management and officials took action to curb the nCoV.

"We were in a defensive position," said Rafael Vergara, who manages a business at Central de Abasto.

However, few businesses act similarly.

Because they did not get tested, most workers at Central de Abasto market were unaware that they were infected with the virus.

The Mexican government launched a large community campaign about Covid-19, with nightly press conferences, but still could not persuade the tomato sellers in the market, as people tended to disbelieve themselves.

Activist Irene Tello Arista said that suspicion stems from underlying causes, pointing out that many residents lack even basic public services, such as safe water.

Rumors spread around the vegetable stalls in the Central de Abasto market that the hospital was a dangerous place and doctors intentionally killed.

Carlos Mateo, son of Martin Mateo, said his father and Uncle Samano were initially misdiagnosed as a cold and were taken home.

The goal of protecting the workers at Central de Abasto has never been easy.

To complicate matters further, the organization in the market is very fragmented.

Some employers try to act responsibly by giving employees time off from paid work.

According to Pedro Torres, president of an association of fruit and vegetable sellers in Central de Abasto, no one knows the number of people who died of nCoV in the market, only rumors.

Interviews with vendors in the market show that at least dozens of people were killed.

Erik Cesario, another chili vendor, knew about 25 people.

Jorge Ochoa, Mexico City's senior health official, said the actions of the capital government helped control nCoV at the market.

However, workers at the market said the pandemic was curbed by dozens of stall owners who decided to close for weeks, only recently resuming operations.

"Nobody believed what the government said, until the appearance of the dead, and then everyone pulled together to leave," said tomato seller Jorge Amaro.