Brazil passes 1 million COVID-19 cases with no end in sight

[rooster59]

Brazil passes 1 million COVID-19 cases with no end in sight

By Pedro Fonseca and Gabriel Stargardter

 

People walk with bags at a popular shopping street amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, June 19, 2020. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli

 

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil passed 1 million coronavirus cases on Friday and approached 50,000 deaths, a new nadir for the world's second worst-hit country as it struggles with a tense political climate and worsening economic outlook.

 

Second only to the United States in both cases and deaths, Brazil confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus on Feb. 26. The virus has spread relentlessly across the continent-sized country, eroding support for right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro and raising fears of economic collapse after years of anemic growth.

 

Brazil reported 1,032,913 confirmed cases on Friday, with 1,206 new deaths to take total official fatalities to 48,954, the Health Ministry said. Friday also saw a new record daily number of cases, with 54,771, suggesting the outbreak is far from over. Brazil is likely to surpass 50,000 deaths on Saturday, although weekend reporting can be lower.

 

Even so, the true extent of the outbreak far exceeds the official figures, according to many experts, who cite a lack of widespread testing.

 

"That number of 1 million is much less than the real number of people who have been infected, because there is under-reporting of a magnitude of five to 10 times," said Alexandre Naime Barbosa, a medical professor at the São Paulo State University. "The true number is probably at least 3 million and could even be as high as 10 million people."

 

COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, arrived in Brazil via wealthy tourists returning from Europe to major southeastern cities such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and has spread deep into the interior, reaching 82% of Brazil's municipalities, Health Ministry data showed.

 

Bolsonaro, sometimes called the "Tropical Trump," has been widely criticized for his handling of the crisis. The country still has had no permanent health minister after losing two since April, following clashes with the president.

 

Bolsonaro has shunned social distancing, calling it a job-killing measure more dangerous than the virus itself. He has also promoted two anti-malarial drugs as remedies, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, despite little evidence they work.

 

The far-right former army captain's handling of the crisis has prompted Brazilians to bang pots and pans regularly outside their apartments in protest, but it has not stopped him from wading into costly political battles with his own cabinet and the Supreme Court, stoking fears of instability.

 

Pressure from Bolsonaro and public fatigue after months of ineffective state and local isolation orders has led governors and mayors to begin lifting restrictions on commerce and other economic activity.

 

Public health experts have warned that loosening restrictions too soon threatens to accelerate contagion and drive up fatalities.

 

A worsening outbreak could weigh on already-grim economic forecasts. The government has said the economy will contract by 4.7% this year, while economists surveyed by the central bank think it will fall more than 6%.

 

Latin America has registered 90,439 deaths, according to a Reuters tally, with nearly 2 million cases.

 

(Reporting by Pedro Fonseca; Writing by Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Brad Haynes, Tom Brown and Cynthia Osterman)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-20

 

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[JCP108]

It's not very hot or humid in Brazil, right?

[4reaL]

5 minutes ago, JCP108 said:

It's not very hot or humid in Brazil, right?

 

More like they have leader as stupid as Trump when it comes to science and virology.

 

 

[mr mr]

32 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

The country still has had no permanent health minister after losing two since April

this is a perfect opportunity for anutin. he could swoop into Brazil and show them how to properly take care of the virus. 

 

what better way to show the world how effective your team has been than sharing your vast knowledge with those in need ?

 

a no brainer and would vault your image into the stratosphere. 

[Bender Rodriguez]

8 hours ago, JCP108 said:

It's not very hot or humid in Brazil, right?

you know how they live ? what they eat, drink, smoke, medicine, old age, chronic diseases ?

[nauseus]

8 hours ago, JCP108 said:

It's not very hot or humid in Brazil, right?

Not really at the moment. Coolest season just starting for most parts.

[nobodysfriend]

Bolsonaro's fault .

He constantly downplayed the risks of Covid , ( it's just a flu ...) .

Now at more than 1 mio cases , what does he say ?

I guess still the same ...

[Krataiboy]

9 hours ago, 4reaL said:

 

More like they have leader as stupid as Trump when it comes to science and virology.

 

 

To add a little perspective, Brazil has a death rate not much higher than the UK's with over three times the population. 

[Bluespunk]

10 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Bolsonaro, sometimes called the "Tropical Trump," has been widely criticized for his handling of the crisis. The country still has had no permanent health minister after losing two since April, following clashes with the president.

 

Bolsonaro has shunned social distancing, calling it a job-killing measure more dangerous than the virus itself. He has also promoted two anti-malarial drugs as remedies, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, despite little evidence they work.

 

Certainly resembles trump like behaviour

[mrfill]

1 hour ago, Krataiboy said:

To add a little perspective, Brazil has a death rate not much higher than the UK's with over three times the population. 

and to add a little more, Brazil is several weeks behind the UK. There could be another 6 weeks to go.

[phantomfiddler]

A brazillion tests positive ? O.M.G. how many are there in a brazillion ? ????

[johnpetersen]

1 hour ago, Krataiboy said:

To add a little perspective, Brazil has a death rate not much higher than the UK's with over three times the population. 

.

Edited June 20, 2020 by johnpetersen

[Sophon]

1 hour ago, Krataiboy said:

To add a little perspective, Brazil has a death rate not much higher than the UK's with over three times the population. 

For now! Brazil and the UK are in two very different stages of the disease spread, in the UK the apex was about two months ago while Brazil has yet to see the worst: 

 

 

[vermin on arrival]

15 hours ago, JCP108 said:

It's not very hot or humid in Brazil, right?

It's winter there now

[johnpetersen]

5 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

To add a little perspective, Brazil has a death rate not much higher than the UK's with over three times the population. 

 

4 hours ago, mrfill said:

and to add a little more, Brazil is several weeks behind the UK. There could be another 6 weeks to go.

And to add even a little more:

The average age of brazilians is 31.4 The average age of Brits is 40.

[Crazy Alex]

16 hours ago, JCP108 said:

It's not very hot or humid in Brazil, right?

Ummmm.... seasons generally run opposite the northern hemisphere the further you go into the southern hemisphere.

[Crazy Alex]

There must be some mistake. Look at all those people wearing masks. We've been told if we just submit and wear a mask, it'll all work out.

[torturedsole]

4 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

O.M.G. how many are there in a brazillion ? ????

Depends on the size of the bra.

[johnpetersen]

19 minutes ago, Crazy Alex said:

There must be some mistake. Look at all those people wearing masks. We've been told if we just submit and wear a mask, it'll all work out.

We have evidence that that is exactly the case. Countries where people routinely wear masks when they are ill have done much much better than those that don't. 

[EricTh]

Do Brazilians wear mask like Thai?

[Crazy Alex]

16 minutes ago, johnpetersen said:

We have evidence that that is exactly the case. Countries where people routinely wear masks when they are ill have done much much better than those that don't. 

I'm not ill. So based on what you posted, there is no need for me to wear a mask. Thank you for posting what I already know.

[Morch]

54 minutes ago, Crazy Alex said:

There must be some mistake. Look at all those people wearing masks. We've been told if we just submit and wear a mask, it'll all work out.

 

No, we weren't told that.

[spiekerjozef]

President done a stunning job. His goal is to beat the US.

[johnpetersen]

9 hours ago, Crazy Alex said:

I'm not ill. So based on what you posted, there is no need for me to wear a mask. Thank you for posting what I already know.

Nonsense. When people are Ill  in those countries they wear masks even when there's not a pandemic. So they are habituated to wearing them. Which means there's little to no resistance to wearing them when there's a pandemic in progress.

[Tug]

Sad to see another country suffer from incompetent governance just like here in the USA guess the apple doesent fall far from the tree ehh sad and a lot of it avoidable 

[brucec64]

10 hours ago, Crazy Alex said:

I'm not ill. So based on what you posted, there is no need for me to wear a mask. Thank you for posting what I already know.

How do you know you are not asymptomatic? Are you tested on a daily basis? It appears what you "already know" is probably from a conspiracy website, but certainly not based on fact.

[Stargeezr]

Wow  Brazil, the USA twin country.  I never knew until now

Geezer