A leading scientist has warned that the snow-capped COVID-19 outbreak in Brazil has the potential to undo the progress made in the fight against the global pandemic.
Miguel Nicolelis, a Duke University neuroscientist watching the crisis, called on the international community to put pressure on the Brazilian government to make the new variant, known as P.1, which is spreading rapidly there, more aggressive. to contain, reports the Guardian.
“The world needs to speak out strongly about the risks Brazil is facing in the fight against the pandemic,” said Nicolelis, who spent most of last year in São Paulo.
“What is the point of resolving the pandemic in Europe or the United States if Brazil is still a breeding ground for this virus?”
Nicolelis warned that the spread of the virus could not prevent it from continuing to turn into more dangerous variants.
“If you allow the virus to multiply at the levels it is currently multiplying here, you open the door to the occurrence of new mutations and the occurrence of even more deadly variants,” he said.
The scientist also slammed the leadership of President Jair Bolsonaro, who repeatedly played down the crisis, and warned that it had international implications.
“The policies he does not implement jeopardize the fight against the pandemic across the planet,” he said.
According to figures from Johns Hopkins University, Brazil currently has the second highest COVID-19 death rate in the world, with more than 257,000 victims.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, the country has endured its deadliest week yet with an average of almost 1200 virus-related accidents per day.
Since the pandemic began, there have been more than 10.6 million confirmed cases in the country, the data show.
With Post threads