Brazil should stockpile medical supplies before it is too late, says scientist

As the coronavirus storms back in Europe, the prospect of normality has been replaced with a fear of new lockdowns. The 7-day rolling average of new daily cases in the continent jumped from 17,000 on August 1 to a whopping 138,000, indicating that the worst of the pandemic may be yet to come.

With that in mind, renowned Brazilian scientist Miguel Nicolelis, coordinator of the Northeastern Coronavirus Scientific Committee, advised Brazilian authorities not to waste any time in closing borders to European citizens and stockpiling medical supplies such as ventilators, masks, and personal protective equipment.

Earlier in the year, Brazil’s Health Ministry did not prepare for the inevitable arrival of the virus, causing many local healthcare networks to collapse — or get close to that point. “With a rise in cases, there could be an avalanche of people fleeing winter and heading to the tropics,” Mr. Nicolelis told newspaper O Globo. “This is a pandemic. No planning can ignore the global context.”

The scientist warns of another problem ahead: with the municipal elections in November, there will be a change in command in many cities — and the growing pains of inexperienced administrations could be fatal in the context of a pandemic.

In Brazil, infection and death curves are falling — but experts are unanimous in saying it is too soon to declare victory against the virus.

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