Purchases of Covid-19 tests spike amid new wave

One of the main obstacles to contain the pandemic in Brazil is the country’s lack of testing data and contact tracing. But a second coronavirus wave sent Brazilians to drugstores in droves to purchase rapid tests, according to a survey by platform Farmácias App.

Covid-19 tests sold in December represent one-quarter of all tests sold in Brazil since the beginning of the pandemic. A previous peak happened in July 2020, when coronavirus curves reached their highest point on record.

“Peaks in sales of Covid-19 faithfully follow the trends of cases and deaths,” said Farmácias App marketing coordinator Renata Morais.

The southeastern region leads in the number of tests sold (61 percent of the total), followed by the South, with 21 percent. The Northeast region, currently facing a health collapse, makes up for only 4.5 percent of test sales.

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