Brazil: Surge in COVID-19 cases should not raise death toll

Brazil’s Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said he believes the advance of COVID-19 in the country should behave similarly to what has been observed in European countries—with an increase in cases but no significant surge in deaths. Queiroga also said 14 million rapid antigen tests should be distributed over the next 15 days.

“In January, we’ll hand out 40 million rapid antigen tests. Of these, 14 million should be distributed in the next 15 days. We must once again rely on municipalities conducting the tests as part of primary health care and sending the results to the Health Ministry, so that we can gauge the evolution of the pandemic,” Queiroga said today (Jan. 10) after arriving at the ministry building.

The minister reiterated that the ministry has provisions and stocks that ensure states and municipalities do not run short of supplies. “We’re facing a pandemic scenario riddled with uncertainties due to Omicron variety, but we’re expecting hospitalizations will not skyrocket, just as we’re expecting deaths will not increase proportionately, since our population is strongly vaccinated.”

He pointed out that the total number of hospital beds went from 23 thousand before the pandemic to 43 thousand at the peak of the pandemic. “We have the capacity in our worst-case scenario to double our ICU beds if necessary. But municipalities and states must keep us informed, so we can make sure they don’t run out of supplies, like oxygen and intubation kits,” he added.

The government should reach a final decision on the quarantine issue today, probably shortening the period for those who contracted the disease, the minister went on to say. Queiroga also noted that Brazil’s national drug regulator Anvisa has submitted its decision to loosen restriction measures for nationals from Africa and countries banned due to the Omicron variant.