Brazil is grappling with a severe COVID-19 crisis, facing what public health experts describe as an \"unimaginable loss of lives\" if immediate action is not taken. A team of esteemed professionals, led by Marcia Castro from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and including experts from the University of São Paulo, highlighted the federal government's mishandling of the pandemic in their recent report published in the journal Science.
With over 360,000 deaths, Brazil holds the second-highest death toll globally. The country also ranks third behind the U.S. and India for confirmed cases, with more than 13 million infections. The situation has overwhelmed hospitals, particularly in cities like Manaus, where healthcare services have collapsed due to a shortage of beds and medical supplies.
Data from state health secretaries reveal that 24 out of 27 states and the federal district have more than 80% of their intensive care units occupied. In Rio de Janeiro, the number of deaths has exceeded births for six consecutive months, a trend also seen in at least ten other major cities.
Epidemiologist Dr. Fatima Marinho from the University of São Paulo has observed an increase in cases of multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS) during the pandemic, a rare condition that can occur in children up to six weeks after COVID-19 infection. Tragically, Brazil has reported the deaths of 1,300 babies due to COVID-19, according to the BBC.
The surge in cases is partly driven by the P1 variant, first discovered in Brazil, which is 2.5 times more contagious than the original virus and resistant to antibodies, as per research from the public health institute Fiocruz. Experts fear that uncontrolled virus replication could lead to more mutations and variants.
Brazil's vaccine rollout has been sluggish, with shortages and delays in deliveries hampering efforts to curb the virus. Experts warn that the impact of COVID-19 vaccines may not be felt until sufficient doses become available in the second half of 2021. Meanwhile, some states and cities are easing COVID-19 restrictions despite the alarming number of cases and deaths. President Jair Bolsonaro has declared that the country will not implement a national lockdown, further complicating efforts to manage the pandemic.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
