Coronavirus

Brazil reaches 4 million coronavirus cases. But spread could be slowing down

cases deaths 4 million
Image: Motion Dmitriy/Shutterstock

Brazil has reached the mark of 4 million confirmed coronavirus cases. Meanwhile, at least 124,614 people have died of the disease. Only the U.S. has worse tallies than Brazil — and even so, Brazil’s testing data is low and inaccurate, which has led most scientists to state that the true totals are much bigger. 

Still, President Jair Bolsonaro once again patted himself on the back, saying his response to the pandemic was “unparalleled.” He mentioned the use of hydroxychloroquine as a testament to his success in dealing with the coronavirus. The antimalarial drug, however, has no proven positive effect on Covid-19 patients.

Recent data suggests that the spread could be slowing down. It took Brazil 25 days to go from 3 to 4 million cases — two days longer than its transition from 2 to 3 million. Moreover, new deaths and infections saw a slight drop in August. While experts celebrate the positive numbers, they warn that the curves are still plateaued at a high level.


Support this coverage →Support this coverage →