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Coronavirus: Brazil’s Bolsonaro in denial and out on a limb

(BBC) As the world tries desperately to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, Brazil’s president is doing his best to downplay it.

Jair Bolsonaro has largely struggled to take it seriously. Going against his own health ministry’s advice earlier in March, and while awaiting the results of a second coronavirus test, he left self-isolation to join rallies against Congress. He shook hands with supporters in Brasilia and sent a message to millions that this was not something to worry about.

In a televised address last week, he repeated a now wellworn phrase. “It’s just a little flu or the sniffles,” he said, blaming the media once again for the hysteria and panic over Covid-19.

A few days later, he clearly demonstrated his prioritisation of the economy over isolation measures favoured by the rest of the world.

“People are going to die, I’m sorry,” he said. “But we can’t stop a car factory because there are traffic accidents.”

A LONE DENIER “Jair Bolsonaro is alone right now,” says Brian Winter, editor-in-chief of the publication Americas Quarterly. “No other major world leader is denying the severity of this to the extent that he is and depending on how things go, that approach could cost a lot of lives in Brazil.” country.

ECONOMY RULES A few days ago, a video was shared by Jair Bolsonaro’s son, Flavio - a politician himself.

President Jair Bolsonaro has previously accused the media of “fear-mongering” over coronavirus

Jair Bolsonaro is frustrat- ed. He came to power last year promising a better economy and coronavirus has put a stop to that.

Rio’s beaches are deserted and the normally gridlocked streets of Sao Paulo are empty. Shops, schools, public spaces and businesses in many states have shut.

So Mr Bolsonaro is determined to make this pandemic political, blaming his adversaries for trying to destroy the The video’s message, which claimed to come from the Brazilian government, was that “BRAZIL CAN’T STOP” (in Portuguese, #obrasil- nãopodeparar). People need to keep working to keep the country safe and the economy growing.

The government refused to claim ownership of the video and has since called it “fake news”, but it’s exactly the message Mr Bolsonaro has been putting out. So much so, in fact, that a federal judge on Saturday banned the government from campaigning against isolation measures. Government posts on social media using the hashtag were hastily removed. “He’s clearly laying the foundation of being able to say six months to a year from now that he did not agree with tough distancing measures, with the lockdown,” says Oliver Stuenkel, Associate Professor of International Relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo.

“It’s an attempt to reduce the negative impact that the economic crisis will inevitably have on the approval ratings of the Bolsonaro government but it’s a very risky strategy because by minimizing the crisis he’s also not leading the response,” Mr Stuenkel said.

SUPPORT FOR BOLSONARO But Mr Bolsonaro’s mes- sage resonates with his sup- porters. In the past few days, many have held motorcades across Brazil, driving through town and honking their horns in support of businesses that want to re-open.

“When you suggest that by going out onto the streets, you could be infected, people become panicked,” says Luiz Antonio Santana Caldas, a Bolsonaro supporter from Bahia. “If you are going to be made to quarantine and there’s no solution in two weeks, all you’re doing is causing the economy to collapse.”

Paloma Freitas, a property administrator from Fortaleza, disagrees. She voted for Mr Bolsonaro but she says he no longer represents her.

“Every time I listen to him, I’m terrified,” she says. “Instead of uniting, he constantly attacks people. He thinks the country will break but dead people don’t generate money, they’re not going to make the economy tick unless it’s the funeral business.”

STATE GOVERNORS LEADING THE CRISIS Sao Paulo’s governor, Joao Doria, along with nearly every other governor in the country, has tried to encourage the federal government to support their isolation measures. To no avail. Mr Bolsonaro just accuses them of political games. “It’s not rational to make health and peoples’ lives political, especially those who are poor and vulnerable,” Mr Doria said, attacking Mr Bolsonaro for not valuing peoples’ lives. Mr Doria said that Brazil could - and should - stop.

PANELAÇOS - PROTESTING WITH POTS AND PANS The din of pot-banging on peoples’ balconies has been the soundtrack to many an evening in cities like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro recently. The “panelaços” are a protest against a President they see as irresponsible. A man known for denying science. And a man who looks to Donald Trump as his inspiration.

“I wish Bolsonaro was listening more closely to Trump right now because if he were, he’d understand that Trump is actually taking this much more seriously than he was even two weeks ago,” says Brian Winter. “Trump is also proof that it’s never too late for a president to change his or her approach on this issue.”

There’s little sign of an about-turn from Jair Bolsonaro though - a politician who has always railed against the establishment. But in these times of crisis, people don’t want to listen to a blame-game. They need a problem to be solved - and fast.

Mayaro health staff concerned about masks to treat COVID patients

(TRINIDAD GUARDIAN) While the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends wearing a mask if you’re interacting with a COVID-19 patient or someone suspected of having the virus, some staff at the Mayaro District Health Facility (MDHF) are concerned about being issued dust and surgical masks.

Masks work by capturing droplets that are released when a person coughs, sneezes and breathes, which is how the COVID-19 can be transmitted. A surgical mask is recommended for health care providers to prevent them from inhaling particles.

However, the N-95 respirator is recommended for COVID-19 care as it reduces the wearer’s exposure to airborne particles even more. According to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, it is tight-fitting and can filter out at least 95 per cent of air particles from large to aerosol droplets.

But some staff the MDHF said management is putting their lives at risk by giving them dust masks to wear. They explained that when people show up with coughs and colds, they are asked to go to a triage area where a doctor or nurse will screen them to determine whether they fit the criteria for COVID-19. The doctor would be required to wear a regular surgical mask. But other staff, including those who clean the isolated areas and who provide support, are given dust masks to wear. Their concerns increased as reports circulated that WHO was reviewing evidence that COVID-19 can be airborne and that it was considering new precautions for medical staff. “They have prop- er masks in stock and are keeping it until things get more serious. The staff is putting themselves at risk and they have families to go home to. People who have to clean the isolated area are doing so with dust masks. All staff who are work- ing in the facility are not getting the proper masks. All healthcare workers at the Sangre Grande Hospi- tal who may be exposed are given green scrubs and N-95 masks, but some staff in Mayaro have to provide their own and have to walk

Doctors at the Mayaro District Health Facility are concerned that the proper N95 masks are not being given to them for the treatement of COVID-19 patients

with a change of clothes. We are under the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) and there are different rules,” a staff member said.

Although N-95 respirators are for those directly involved in handling COVID-19 patients, staff said there has been a steady flow of people seeking help for respiratory ailments. Many are coughing and sneezing but unless tests are done, no one knows who has contracted COVID-19. ERHA CEO Ronald

Tsoi-A-Fatt told Guardian Media that the issuance of protective gear is done using WHO guidelines, therefore not every member of staff is required to wear N-95 respirators. Tsoi-AFatt said if something was wrong, he did not understand why the staff did not speak to the management. However, the staff at the MDHF said their concerns were ignored. TsoiA-Fatt said he will look into the concerns to ensure there is no deviation from ERHA policy.