Fiocruz warns of second Covid-19 wave in three Brazilian states

According to a report from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) medical research institute, the Brazilian states of Rio de Janeiro, Ceará, and Maranhão are showing early signs of a second Covid-19 wave.

All three states recorded their initial peaks in early May followed by a significant decrease in June, but now are experiencing a rapid rise in new infections, according to the Infogripe division of Fiocruz, responsible for monitoring cases of severe acute respiratory syndromes (SARS), such as Covid-19.

A closer look at the curve of each individual Brazilian state reveals that the country has unevenly reached a national plateau of new Covid-19 cases, with many states still registering a rapid rise in new daily infections. 

Today’s daily newsletter explains how Brazilians have failed to control the Covid-19 spread since the start of the pandemic.

The recent spike in Covid-19 cases across the three states follows the state’s attempts to reopen their economies, despite still recording high daily tallies of new deaths and confirmed cases — a cautionary tale to all the remaining state administrations pushing to reboot their economies.

Furthermore, a second wave scenario could be even more devastating to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which are already struggling to remain in business, as The Brazilian Report recently explained.

Brazil’s national Covid-19 curve is not all that encouraging either. The country seems to have hit a plateau with daily deaths averaging over 1,000 and new cases at around 50,000. Brazil is set to reach the appalling mark of 100,000 Covid-19 deaths in the coming days. With a second wave in sight, while there are still no signs of overcoming the first, Brazil still has a long and arduous road ahead in its fight against Covid-19.

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