Brazil’s Health Ministry calls out anti-vaxxers in efforts against coronavirus

On Wednesday, the Health Ministry confirmed Brazil’s first case of the novel coronavirus. As we reported in Wednesday’s Weekly Report, a 61-year-old man developed symptoms three days after arriving from Italy, where he was on a business trip. According to the Brazilian press, the man met with 30 of his family members last Sunday—among them children—before seeking medical help. With the Covid-19 virus having now reached Brazil, the population fears a mass outbreak and is unsure about whether the country’s health system can handle such a spread.

The Health Ministry assures Brazil is up to the task, however. The department has been completely transparent since day one, speaking openly to the press and promising to provide all information possible. On Thursday, Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta confirmed he will bring forward Brazil’s flu vaccination campaign to March 23, in an attempt to facilitate Covid-19 diagnoses.

Brazil’s first coronavirus patient and his partner will remain quarantined for 14 days in the couple’s home. This is the deadline established by the World Health Organization, which has identified the average period for the onset of Covid-19 symptoms as between zero to 14 days. Isolation in the patient’s home,...