Barely recovered from second wave, Brazil is braced for a third

Less than four months after a brutal second coronavirus wave brought the healthcare system in the city of Manaus to its knees, Amazonas state governor Wilson Lima told his constituents last month that officials are “preparing for the worst possible scenario” in the event of a third Covid-19 wave. 

The announcement came as the state registered a steady drop in coronavirus cases and deaths in March and April, leading many in Amazonas to believe the worst was behind them. Governor Lima was careful to temper expectations — and he appears to have been vindicated.

After cases nationwide dropped at the end of April — leading several cities and states rushing to reopen their economies — infections are creeping upward once more, sparking fears that a third wave is on the horizon.

Indeed, Brazil’s “stable” case figures at the end of last month were still remarkably high. In the week of April 19-25, the country recorded over 400,000 new infections and almost 18,000 deaths. Last week, new cases totaled 440,000.

Data from the National Council of Health Secretaries (Conass) found that five northern and northeastern states registered an uptick in Covid infections, as well as states further south, including the country’s three most populous: São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro. 

Health research institute Fiocruz’s Infogripe platform found that coronavirus cases in Amazonas have risen 42.3 percent since the last week of April.

Premature reopening

Health experts warn that Brazil has not learned...