More than one lakh people died due to Corona in Brazil, India is not making some similar mistakes?

How long does it take to count to one lakh? If we talk about this epidemic, it took 164 days from the first death in Brazil to reach one lakh deaths.

Initially the pace of deaths was not so fast. The first death was recorded in the country on March 12, and after that by May 9, there had been ten thousand deaths due to corona infection.

After this the graph of the epidemic continued to grow. A month later, the number of people who died of corona infection in the country had crossed fifty thousand.

By Saturday, 100477 people have died due to infection in Brazil. Corona virus infection is increasing rapidly in India too. Every day more than 50 thousand new cases are coming up. More than 43 thousand people have also died. Even in small towns, Corona has begun to spread its footing. On the other hand the lockdown is almost over. In such a situation, the question arises that what is India doing to prevent the infection of Corona?

199 people were killed in a plane crash in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This was the deadliest accident in Brazil. If compared to the corona epidemic, this incident has been repeated 505 times since 26 February.

The first case of corona infection in Brazil was officially confirmed on 26 February.

For the last five months, three times more people are being killed every day due to the Kovid-19 epidemic.

The population of many cities of Brazil is less than one lakh. This means that more people have died due to this epidemic than the total population of many cities.

After America, Brazil is now the only country in the world where more than one lakh deaths have occurred. In America, this figure is over one lakh 61 thousand.

If we talk about deaths in terms of total cases, Brazil is at number ten in the world. The percentage of less populated countries San Marino and Andorra is higher than here. Although there are only a few dozen cases in these countries.

At the same time, the death rates of France, Itni, Britain, Belgium, Sweden are also higher than Brazil. Although fewer deaths are being recorded in these countries these days due to corona infection. In some countries the number is less than ten per day.

But if we talk about the ten most populous countries of the world, then the number of deaths per million people in Brazil is second. According to Oxford University’s Our World in Data, 473 deaths per million people in Brazil have been caused by corona infection. This figure is 487 in the United States.

But where the number of daily deaths from Corona is falling in many countries of the world, the number of daily deaths in Brazil is quite high. For example, on August 2, there were 541 deaths while on August 5, 1437 deaths were recorded in the country. On July 29, 1595 deaths were recorded.

Even after one lakh deaths in Brazil, there are no signs of improvement in the situation. It shows that Brazil has failed to stop this unexpected epidemic.

Dr. Natalia Pastrneck, PhD in Microbiology from the University of São Paulo, says, “Crossing a million deaths is a sign of our inability.” We could have done better than this.

BBC News Brazil spoke to leaders, researchers and health workers to understand what mistakes Brazil made in the fight against Corona. Their opinion was also like this.

“This data shows that as a country we have failed to stop the virus,” says Ister Cebino, who is associated with the genetic mapping group of Corona virus in Brazil.

Professor Ister at the University of São Paulo says that the epidemic in Brazil is far from finished. “If the situation does not change and everyday about one thousand deaths continue, then we will reach the next one lakh cases in a hundred days.”

In such a situation, it is important to understand what mistakes Brazil has made and what are the lessons of this epidemic for this country so far-

1. Not fully prepared for the epidemic

One of the biggest reasons for Brazil and many countries of the world to fail in front of this epidemic is that the world was not ready for this level of epidemic.

Sebino says, “The possibility of such an epidemic was being expressed. Many people think that this is fiction, but it is not. International efforts to stop this are inadequate.

Dr. Cebino says that corona virus epidemics such as SARS, Mars and H1N1 had not proved to be as severe as previously feared.

For example, in sixteen months of H1N1 there were 493000 cases and there were a total of 18 thousand deaths worldwide.

At the same time, eight thousand cases of SARS and 2500 cases of mars were reported, whereas in comparison, more than one crore 95 lakh cases of corona virus infection have been reported and more than 7 lakh 23 thousand deaths have been reported so far.

Sebino says, since there had never been such an impact before, officials felt they had enough resources to deal with this new virus.

2. There was no national policy against the corona virus

Its first case came to light in Brazil two months after informing the World Health Organization of China about the new virus. By that time, 81 thousand cases had been reported in 38 countries and more than two thousand deaths had taken place.

There was no national policy against the epidemic until it reached Brazil and even then. There was no plan even at the regional level.

There was no common strategy or harmony between the federal, provincial and municipal administrations against the corona virus. Rather, opposite and opposite decisions were being taken. This is the reason that the epidemic situation is improving in some parts of Brazil and the situation is getting worse in some parts.

Control of an epidemic is difficult but not impossible. Provided an effective strategy is made for this, but there is no clear strategy in Brazil yet. Today, Brazil is waiting to become a vaccine or an epidemic.

Sebino says that the change in charge of the health ministry of the country also weakened the fight against the virus. Luiz Henrique Mendetta and Nelson Tyck resigned because of differences with President Zir Bolsonaro and so far the junior minister general, Eduardo Pezzuli, holds the post.

“Menadata had made a plan, it reached only half and then went away and because of this weakened the response of Brazil as health policy cannot be prepared in one night,” says Sebino.

3. President Bolsonare underestimated the epidemic

In his first statement about the virus, President Bolsonaro said that the fear of the virus is being exaggerated. He also criticized social distancing measures, calling it a mild cold.

Bolsonaro also said that one day we all have to die. He had said that there is madness in the people about this issue and this is a blank fantasy.

When asked about the statistics of deaths, he said, “So what happened, I apologize.” What do you want What I do. I am a messiah but I do not show miracles. ”

Now when he was asked about one lakh deaths, he said that we are moving towards life and we will all get over this problem.

Natalia Pastranak used to say that this attitude of the President towards the epidemic has proved extremely fatal.

4. Large-scale corona tests were not conducted

Says researcher Margereth Dalcolmo at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil made a mistake and what is still happening is not to do large-scale population tests.

According to the latest data of the Ministry of Health, 2135487 tests of Kovid-19 were conducted between February 1 and July 31. These figures do not include tests conducted in hospitals and private clinics.

This is just one percent of the population of Brazil and is far from the government’s goal of conducting a lab test of 12 percent of the population.

Without testing, it is difficult to find out which people have come in contact with the infected. The World Health Organization has said many times that it is necessary to isolate the infected people and the people in contact with them in order to break the virus chain.

Professor Dalcomo says that this model has been adopted in countries which have managed to stop the virus. They say, South Korea has adopted the same model and according to me it is also the best model.

4. Large-scale corona tests were not conducted

Says researcher Margereth Dalcolmo at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil made a mistake and what is still happening is not to do large-scale population tests.

According to the latest data of the Ministry of Health, 2135487 tests of Kovid-19 were conducted between February 1 and July 31. These figures do not include tests conducted in hospitals and private clinics.

This is just one percent of the population of Brazil and is far from the government’s goal of conducting a lab test of 12 percent of the population.

Without testing, it is difficult to find out which people have come in contact with the infected. The World Health Organization has said many times that it is necessary to isolate the infected people and the people in contact with them in order to break the virus chain.

Professor Dalcomo says that this model has been adopted in countries which have managed to stop the virus. They say, South Korea has adopted the same model and according to me it is also the best model.

5. Not enough social distance

Dalcomo says that one of the reasons why such a large number of people die is that the lockdown was not imposed. Lockdown is the only closure of a city or region.

For example, the most infected Sao Paulo has a lockdown. Amazonas, where health services collapsed, also did not impose lockdown.

Even in cities or areas where the lockdown was imposed after the order of the courts, the administration failed to stop the people in sufficient quantity. The WHO advised a ban on the movement of 70 percent of the population.

In Rio, where lockdown was implemented in some municipal corporations (not the capital), only 57 percent of the population could be stopped. However, strict lockdown guidelines were issued here.

At the same time, Pasternak says that at the beginning of the epidemic, people could have saved their lives by putting a strict lockdown like China and Spain.

6. Advertising of chloroquine is harmful

Immunologist Barbara Batista argues that a large number of people died in the country due to the government and administration being highly dependent on chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine.

President Bolsonaro publicized this drug used in diseases like malaria and lupus.

The Health Ministry had advised to use it, in many cities, this drug was distributed free of cost.

Initially, some research said that this drug can stop the virus but later and extensive research showed that it has no such effect.

In a research, many people in Brazil believed that they believe that this drug can prevent Kovid-19.

People felt that they would survive this drug, this thinking made them careless and the number of infections increased.

7. Field hospitals have become a problem

Margaret Dalcomo says that many states also invested in field hospitals and this was also a mistake as beds were available in many places but they were not being used due to lack of staff.

At the same time, construction of these hospitals was delayed only. Excessive beds were put in many places and hospitals could not be fully utilized.

There are also allegations of corruption in the construction and operation of these hospitals. The investigation has been started in Rio de Janeiro.

In many cases, says Dalcomo, these hospitals became problems rather than solutions.

8. Indigenous people could not be protected

In Brazil, the epidemic started in the cities, but in the beginning it was expressed that if it reached tribal areas, the consequences could be fatal because the indigenous people have no immunity to many types of viruses.

But despite all the warnings, the virus could not be prevented from reaching the indigenous people. So far 633 have died and more than 22 thousand have been infected.

The epidemic has compounded problems for the Brazilian tribals. Adequate health services are also not available in the areas where these people live.

The matter of protection of tribals reached the Supreme Court and the court ordered the federal government to take steps to protect these people.

Paulo Tupinquim, who is associated with an organization that works for the tribals, says their population can also be infected by health workers. Jungle cutters, landowners can also bring viruses here. People from villages near the cities also go to the city, they can also bring infection.

He says, when the virus reaches these communities, maintaining social distance here is also a big challenge.

9. The poor could not be protected

This virus was transmitted to Brazil through the rich. Those people brought viruses that roam the world. But everyone knew that this virus spreads quickly and it will reach the poor population as well.

According to a research by the Oswaldo Foundation, the virus spread rapidly in urban poor areas where there is a shortage of health services.

In the slum areas of Rio de Janeiro, the death rate reached 19.47 percent whereas it is 9.23 percent in the slum areas.

People in poor areas could not even follow the guidelines issued by the World Health Organization. Social distance or work from home could not be followed.

Kovid-19 has proved more fatal for those who were suffering from some disease in the first place. Prevalence of diseases was also higher among people of poor social background. Health services and beds are not available in these areas as easily.

What are the lessons of epidemics?

In Brazil, this virus came at a time when the government itself was questioning scientific research and research sector funds were being cut.

Ister Sebino says, I think in this epidemic we have been able to show that science is important and keep this in mind when people choose their leaders.

Natalia Pastarnak says that more investment is needed in the field of research and science, otherwise even in future we will not be ready for such an emergency.

At the same time, Margaret Dalcomo says that the science of Brazil will overcome this situation. She says that despite all the difficult situations, knowledge has been acquired, scientists have registered patents, things have been developed at a low cost and research has been taken part.

Dalcomo says that science was never so close to society.