There is a high chance of a national collapse of Brazil´s hospital system, says scientist

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The worsening of the covid-19 pandemic is causing the hospital systems in several states to collapse, from north to south of Brazil, said Miguel Nicolelis.

The worsening of the covid-19 pandemic is causing the collapse of hospital systems in several states, from north to south of the country, according to Miguel Nicolelis, MD, neuroscientist and professor at Duke University, in the United States. In an interview to the O Globo newspaper, he advocated the need for a 21-day national lockdown.

Only this could prevent the simultaneous collapse of healthcare (and then funeral) in virtually the whole country, according to Nicolelis. “The population needs to wake up to the dimension of our tragedy,” he said.

To O Globo, the doctor explained that, unlike the first wave, when it happened in each state at a time, there were synchronizing events such as elections, end-of-year parties, and carnival. Today, everything is exploding at the same time, and this translates into insufficient medication, intubation, or transfers between cities.

According to the neuroscientist, most capitals could collapse at the same time and Brazil has never come close to this. “Excluding the indigenous genocide and slavery, this is Brazil’s greatest tragedy. The lack of leadership from the federal government is harmful. This is war,” he said.

Since December, the doctor has seen a collapse looming on the pandemic horizon. He alerted authorities and advised on the measures to be taken, in particular a much-needed lockdown. He left the coordination of the Covid-19 Scientific Committee of the Northeast Consortium last week.

Source: Valor Investe

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