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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBrazil is on the brink of a virus catastrophe... example of implementing NO measures to stop spread
But the officials never instituted a lockdown. Cases and deaths soared. People stopped isolating, choosing instead to pack beach boardwalks on weekends. And the warning turned out to be just one more exit ramp that Brazil declined to take on its way toward becoming the second-most disease-ravaged country in the world.
Latin America's largest country has so far registered more than 888,000 coronavirus cases and nearly 44,000 deaths, second on both counts only to the United States. But while other countries have been through steep curves and are now focused on preparations for a possible second wave, Brazil can't even get past its first.
What's happening here appears to be unique on a global level. Despite soaring numbers, officials never implemented measures largely successful elsewhere in the world. There has been no national lockdown. No national testing campaign. No agreed-upon plan. Insufficient health-care expansion. Instead, the hardest-hit cities are now deciding to open up, throwing open the doors to malls and churches, at a time when the country is routinely posting more than 30,000 new cases a day - five times more than Italy reported at the peak of its outbreak.
The inaction has pushed the country onto a path that scientists call uncharted.
"We are doing something that no one else has done," said Pedro Hallal, an epidemiologist at the Federal University of Pelotas. "We're getting near the curve's peak, and it's like we are almost challenging the virus. 'Let's see how many people you can infect. We want to see how strong you are.' Like this is a game of poker, and we're all in."
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Brazil-on-the-brink-of-virus-catastrophe-15342942.php
uponit7771
(90,323 posts)... are especially in Red States
IcyPeas
(21,856 posts)how's that hydroxychloroquine working out for ya?
The American and Brazilian people stand in solidarity in the fight against the coronavirus, the statement said. We are announcing the United States Government has delivered two million doses of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to the people of Brazil.
The two countries will also conduct a joint research effort that will include randomized controlled clinical trials, the statement said, adding that the United States would soon send 1,000 ventilators to Brazil.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-brazil/u-s-sends-brazil-2-million-doses-of-hydroxychloroquine-drug-touted-by-trump-idUSKBN2370RU
ProfessorGAC
(64,960 posts)I'm not convinced they're accurately reporting.
They are showing, per Worldometer, a fairly flat daily death. (With some day to day variation)
Taking essentially no measures makes flattening illogical, given what we know about the infectious nature of CV19.
We say the US is underreporting by 10 to 15%. I think it's much worse in Brazil.
Quixote1818
(28,926 posts)That would be about 50,000 cases a day compared to the US. Even those numbers are probably BS
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/brazil/
Edit: I am guessing you were talking about deaths?
ProfessorGAC
(64,960 posts)I just looked at Worldometer.
1,200 a day is awful, but the doctor in the article said "catastrophe". 1,200 is only a US equivalent of 2k per day.
And the US did mitigation.
That's where my doubt originates.
Quixote1818
(28,926 posts)Demovictory9
(32,444 posts)DBoon
(22,353 posts)malaise
(268,846 posts)What else do you expect