COVID-19 death toll in Brazil now 1,532

The number of people who died from the new coronavirus went up to 1,432 in the country, with cases rising to 25,262. The new totals were released by the Health Ministry during a press conference at the Planalto presidential palace on Tuesday (Apr. 14), and show the death toll nearly doubled in 24 hours: 204. On Monday, deaths had been reported to add up to 105, and 99 on Sunday.

The number of cured people was disclosed for the first time 14,026—55 percent of confirmed cases.

The report also indicates that the number of deaths saw a 15 percent surge from Monday’s (13) 1,328. Of the 27 Brazilian states, São Paulo has the highest number of deaths (695), followed by Rio de Janeiro (224), Pernambuco (115), Ceará (107), and Amazonas (90). The mortality rate in the country stands at 6.1 percent.

As for the profile of victims, 59.9 percent were men, 50.1 percent women. Of the total, 73 percent were aged 60, and 73 percent exhibited some aggravating factor, like heart or lung disease, diabetes, and neurological disorders.

Coronavirus-linked hospitalizations amounted to 4,926. However, there are 31,605 people hospitalized with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) being assessed and awaiting COVID-19 rest results.

Tests and equipment

During the interview, Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta said a public call has been made in order to form a São Paulo–based laboratory center to produce RT-PCR tests and distribute them to other locations.

When asked about why other countries have higher testing rates, Mandetta argued that Brazil adopted this strategy at the same time as the US and Europe. “But when you get tests for a country with a smaller population, you get to test more,” he said.

He considered the possibility to allow quick tests to be sold at drugstores. “We’re introducing standards so drug stores can do it. We have a number of tools to increase this kind of information, crucial to making decisions,” he added.