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Health Minister Nelson Teich said on Wednesday that the government will announce a plan for next week for cities and states to decide to alleviate social isolation against the coronavirus pandemic: a few weeks ago, the portfolio, still under Luiz Henrique Mandetta had announced based guidelines. Teich said that the particularities of each place will be considered, as well as the progress of the disease in each region, but added that it is “impossible” for a “country to survive a year, a year and a half in detention.” “Remoteness [social] It is a natural and logical measure at first, but it cannot be applied without an exit plan, “said the minister. Teich also announced that General Eduardo Pazuello will be the new Executive Secretary of Health, number two in the portfolio.
After the ministry recorded 165 more deaths from covid-19 (the total number of deaths reached 2,906) and 45,757 confirmed cases in the country, Teich stated that “Brazil is one of the best performing countries in relation to covid” and that the number infected people are low compared to the total Brazilian population. The minister mentioned that Brazil has a mortality rate of 8.7 per million inhabitants, but, according to the most recent official figures, that rate is 13.7. Even so, the number is, as Teich said, many times less than that of Spain or the USA. USA (135 per million), although the minister also erroneously cited the rates of these countries.
The minister believes that, maintaining current rates, Brazil will not reach the estimate of 70% of the population in contact with the disease. He promised to go back in case of miscalculation. “Continuous monitoring will have indicators that say ‘back’. When you know little about something, you can’t predict what will happen. So it should be fast enough to make a diagnosis and take action,” he said. “So, one of the things that will happen is: if this happens, back off. “
Despite acknowledging the deficit of evidence in Brazil, and the consequent underreporting of cases and deaths due to the coronavirus, Teich criticized the mathematical models that make projections on the number of deaths from covid-19. The minister mentioned the study carried out by the Imperial College from London, which estimates more than a million deaths in the worst case scenario for Brazil. With appropriate social isolation measures, that number would drop to 44,000 deaths, the study indicates. “This is impossible,” said Teich, referring to the large numerical difference between the two scenarios. The minister also said that when such an investigation “generates a very alarming number,” it has the effect of increasing the fear of citizens.
“Now we have 43.5 thousand cases of coronavirus in Brazil. If we imagine that there can be a large margin of error, let’s say, hypothetically, 100 times, we are talking about four million people. We are now 212 million. So, outside of covid-19, there are 208 million people who continue with their diseases, with their problems, and who must be treated. And what do four million people represent in a country like this today? 2% of the population ”, he argued. Not to mention the situations of Amazonas and Ceará, considered in a state of emergency due to contagion in relation to the number of the population, announced the sending of respirators and to these points in the country.
Without detailing his plans to control the epidemic at the head of the ministry, Teich limited himself to an optimistic tone: “We are in a position to strengthen the health system after 19 covid,” said the new health minister. Health.
Right arm
The right arm chosen by the new Minister of Health for the mission to combat the coronavirus is General Eduardo Pazuello, who ordered, from 2018 to the beginning of this year, Operation Welcome, of humanitarian support to Venezuelan refugees in Roraima. After that, Pazuello assumed military command of the Army in the Amazon, in Manaus. “He has a lot of experience in logistics, purchasing and distribution, something very important for the ministry at the moment,” said Teich.
The former commander of the Army Logistics Support Base, the new executive secretary of Health, who assumes the post of João Gabbardo, head of the post under Luiz Henrique Mandetta, also worked as a logistics coordinator for Army troops at the Olympic Games. 2016
Pazuello thus becomes the most recent reinforcement of the Government of Jair Bolsonaro, who celebrated, in February, the fact of having established a “totally militarized” government.
Information about coronavirus:
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