Coronavirus News: Hospitals In Sao Paulo 'Near Collapse' As Brazil Infections Shoot Up

Brazil is about to feel the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in China and has spread around the globe mostly in the northern hemisphere. It is now showing up in South American cities like Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city. The city’s mayor, Bruno Covas, is warning that the country’s health system could collapse as demand for beds and treatment skyrockets.

Mayor Covas said the hospitals in Sao Paulo were at 90% capacity and set two weeks as to when they would run out of space. He is also accusing some officials of playing “Russian roulette” by opposing lockdowns, like Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro.

Statistics from Worldometer, a statistical reference website, for countries that have passed the peak of the infection may give some insight as to what is in store for Brazil. China, the first 'epicenter,' had a peak that lasted about a month beginning in late January although the data used may be suspect due to it being manipulated by the Chinese Communist government.

The next epicenter was Italy. Their trajectory was a swift three-week rise to the top beginning in early March and then a gradual descent over two months and continuing. Spain and Germany’s “path” resemble Italy’s while France had a less sharp rise and descent.

The U.S. and U.K. both had the initial 2-3 week rise but the descent has been a long and gradual one that continues.

If those trends hold for Brazil, they are near their peak and can expect a plateau of several days followed by a 3 -6 week descent like what New York City experienced. On May 15 and 16 about 15,000 new cases were reported each day. It should be noted that a lack of testing in Brazil might make the actual situation worse than what the statistics show.

Brazil’s situation is like NY City in other ways as the mayor’s concerns over Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro over his handling of the country's escalating coronavirus crisis mimics that of New York politicians' criticism of conservative U.S. President Donald Trump.

Bolsonaro defied global health advice on social distancing Sunday when he posed for photographs with supporters and children in the capital, Brasília. A popular figure in São Paulo, he continues to oppose lockdown measures, arguing that social distancing will only wreck the economy.

In March, during a speech, he said, "Our lives have to go on. Jobs must be kept. We must get back to normal." He went on to call business closings, school closings and other restrictions as a "scorched-earth" policy.

In April he joined with some protesters who were demanding that lockdown restrictions be lifted. He said the restrictions were damaging the economy, bringing unemployment and hunger.

In countries like South Korea, Singapore, and even China where most people are of one ethnicity, more likely to engage in unified response and more compliant to government directives, the odds improve battling the pandemic. Brazil has a diverse population and its people are known for being outgoing and extroverted. This puts them at a disadvantage with social distancing, a prudent step to battle an unseen microscopic enemy.