Brazil in crisis because of Covid-19: toll of cases, deaths and health collapse

Brazil registered this Wednesday, March 17 a new record of 90,303 coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours and added 2648 deaths, at the height of the already collapsing pandemic sanitary system In much of the country.

According to the latest report from the Ministry of Health, the South American giant of 212 million inhabitants accumulates a total of 11,693,838 infected and 284,775 victims, after several weeks of chaining the cases and the marks of tragic deaths.

On Tuesday March 16, it recorded the highest number of deaths (2,841) since the start of the pandemic, in February 2020. It is currently configured as the second in the world in terms of loss of life and contagion, behind the United States.

This wednesday too there has been a record 2,017 daily deaths on average over the past seven days, almost triple the 703 at the start of the year and well above what had been reported in 2020.

Experts maintain that this sustained acceleration of the pandemic is due to several factors, such as the emergence of the variant of the coronavirus recorded in the Brazilian Amazon, which is much more contagious, or the non-compliance with preventive measures by the population. to avoid crowds and use masks.

This rebound is already causing “the biggest health and hospital collapse in Brazilian history”, with 24 of 27 states reporting more than 80% occupancy of intensive care unit beds (UCI), according to a report from Fiocruz Foundation.

Covid-19 in Brazil: 59 cities have “completely collapsed hospitals”

The designated Minister of Health, Marcelo Queiroga, on Wednesday recommended social distancing to contain the pandemic and indicated possible “adjustments” in the president’s policy Jair Bolsonaro, which so far has gone the other way.

“We will be able to reduce deaths through social distancing policies that reduce the circulation of the virus and improve the capacity of our hospital services,” he said. Queiroga.

The fierce rebound of the pandemic in Brazil could soon kill some 3,000 per day and bring the balance to 500,000 or 600,000 before the generalization of vaccines, according to experts. For the moment, 9.33 million Brazilians, or 4.4% of the population, have received at least one dose and 3.12 million have already received the second.

A survey published by Technical sheet indicates that 43% of Brazilians consider Bolsonaro as “the main culprit” of the current situation, against 17% who put the responsibility on the governors.

JFG