Study projects 90 deaths by August in Brazil, and doctor advocates for lockdown.
According to a study by the University of Washington released on Tuesday (12), the country could reach up to 90 deaths by August 4, second only to the United States.
Sputnik - The University of Washington released a study estimating that Brazil could reach 90 deaths from COVID-19 by August. Regarding this topic, Sputnik Brazil spoke with physician Alexandre Telles, who assessed that the current situation in Brazil makes this scenario possible.
Brazil currently has 218.223 confirmed cases of COVID-19, in addition to 13.993 deaths caused by the disease. The control of the pandemic in the country has been marked by disagreements led by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who diverges from recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).
With the advancement of the pandemic, studies began to point to Brazil as a future epicenter of transmission of Sars-Cov-2 in the world. According to the study According to a study by the University of Washington, released on Tuesday (12), the country could reach up to 90 deaths by August 4, second only to the United States, a country that, according to the university, could reach 147 deaths caused by COVID-19 in the same period.
According to physician Alexandre Telles, president of the Rio de Janeiro Doctors' Union, the study's projection presents a possible scenario. given the way Brazil has been dealing with the pandemic in addition to the transmission characteristics of the virus.
"We know that this coronavirus has a very high potential for spreading and infecting many people," Alexandre Telles points out in an interview with Sputnik Brazil.
Telles emphasizes that the grim picture presented by the study is reinforced by the deterioration of the Unified Health System (SUS), considered a "fortress" by the doctor and that urgently needs investments..
"We urgently need to reverse [the neglect], because the SUS [Brazilian public healthcare system] is the heritage of every Brazilian and it is, at this moment, a very stronghold for us," he assesses.
The doctor explains that Rio de Janeiro, where he works, is an example of this need, since there are 1,3 people in the municipality waiting for a hospital bed. The state currently has 19.987 cases and 2.438 deaths caused by COVID-19.
Telles emphasizes that it is crucial to deepen social isolation in Brazilian cities, overcoming attitudes he described as "individualistic," such as not respecting quarantine.
"Overcoming this and thinking from a more collective point of view, adopting measures, using masks, and only going out when absolutely necessary. It's a highly contagious disease, a disease in which a large number of people need ICU beds [Intensive Care Unit], and we don't have that capacity installed in the Unified Health System at this moment," he says, adding that without effective isolation, deaths are expected to increase.
The doctor also comments on the possibility of a so-called lockdown, the confinement of people to their homes. The organization Telles represents, the Rio de Janeiro Doctors' Union, supports the measure, but cautions against it. need to guarantee rights social benefits to citizens should lockdown measures be adopted.
"Unfortunately, the federal government has taken few measures from a socio-economic standpoint to help people stay home, because lockdown cannot simply mean locking people in their homes without guaranteeing social rights that are in the Constitution, [such as] housing and food. [...] And then an aid of R$ 600,00 is not enough for people to be able to meet their needs," he says.
Alexandre Telles emphasizes, however, that without the necessary number of tests to detect the new coronavirus in Brazil, it will be impossible to fight the disease.
"It's a very difficult situation where, if we don't have this data, these tests, we can't really plan actions in healthcare," he concludes.