Coronavirus spread in the Amazon causes indigenous deaths to skyrocket in Brazil.

Reuters The coronavirus is spreading rapidly among indigenous populations in Brazil, and deaths caused by the disease have increased more than fivefold in the last month, according to data collected by a national association of indigenous peoples.

Many epidemiologists had hoped that remote locations might protect the tribes, but the virus, which first spread in the cosmopolitan state capitals of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, is increasingly devastating these isolated communities, where basic health services are often precarious.

For many indigenous people, the crisis brings back memories of a dark past.

When Europeans first navigated the rivers of the Amazon rainforest, their smallpox decimated local tribes. Later, rubber tappers, gold miners, and settlers spread malaria, measles, and influenza. Now it's Covid-19's turn.

Deaths among Brazilian indigenous peoples rose from 28 at the end of April to 182 on June 1st, according to the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (Apib), a national association that brings together the country's 305 tribes.

In the village of Sororó, in southeastern Pará, Itamaré Surui said that people are getting sick, but the government has not provided tests to confirm whether they have Covid-19.

"I'm feeling dizzy, feverish, and have a stomach ache. We're all collapsing in the village and no one is coming to help us," he said.

Official figures from the Brazilian government estimate the death toll at 59, as they only count deaths among tribes living on reservations as indigenous deaths, but not those of people who migrated to cities.

The Ministry of Health, which collects the data and provides medical assistance to indigenous tribes, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The numbers may seem small compared to the rest of the country, which now has the second-largest outbreak in the world, but they are significant because they show that the virus has taken hold in vulnerable communities where doctors fear its spread could be devastating.

Erik Jennings, a doctor who works with indigenous populations, said the death toll offers a snapshot of what was happening weeks ago due to the lag in case reporting and the time it often takes for a patient to die. "The reality today is much worse than that," he said, adding that the severe lack of testing makes it difficult to know exactly how serious the situation is.

On Tuesday, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said it was very concerned about the rate of infection among indigenous populations in the Amazon.

Douglas Rodrigues, another doctor who has worked with indigenous tribes for 30 years, said he fears for the tribes in the state of Amazonas, where the only public hospitals equipped with ventilators are in the capital Manaus and are already full. "In Amazonas, these are people whose deaths are decreed because they can't be transferred in time," he stated.

The Xingu Park, which is Brazil's first indigenous reserve and home to 16 tribes, where Rodrigues works, has prevented access to outsiders and has so far had no cases of Covid-19.

"There isn't any [contamination] in the Xingu region yet, but it's very dangerous because the contamination is already very close. For now, we have nothing confirmed there, but we are very apprehensive," he said.

The only intensive care units in the vast Amazon region are also located in Manaus, where a ward for indigenous patients with Covid-19 was opened last week.

But even there, access for indigenous people is complicated. On Wednesday, indigenous women protested in front of the hospital because shamans were being barred from bringing herbal remedies to a relative with Covid-19.

In southern Pará, which borders Amazonas, the virus spread to small towns surrounding the world's largest iron ore mine.

The local Xikrin tribe is suffering. Bep Karoti, a 64-year-old Xikrin chief, died of Covid-19 on Sunday in the village of Cateté, which is an eight-hour drive from the nearest city with ICUs.

Two army trucks carrying soldiers arrived on Tuesday with test kits, masks, and medical personnel following the death of the chief, according to posts from residents on social media.

The village of 900 indigenous people has 54 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and five deaths so far, the most recent being a child who died on Wednesday morning.

“It’s very sad. A child died from a severe lung infection, coronavirus all the way to the top. Things are getting really bad here,” said Tekore Velho, leader of the Cateté community, in a message.