90,000 COVID Deaths Already But Brazil Reopens Borders, It Also Has 2nd Highest Cases In World

Brazil reopened its borders to foreigners coming by air in a bid to revive its badly affected tourism, as per a report in AFP. This is despite the fact that COVID-19 is spreading fast in the country.

According to the government gazette, Brazil extended bans on foreign travelers arriving by land or sea for 30 more days, but said the restrictions "will no longer bar the entry of foreigners arriving by air."

AFP

The move came even as Brazil registered record numbers of daily infections and deaths, bringing the overall figures past 2.5 million and 90,000, respectively.

Brazil closed its air borders to non-residents on March 30, at a time when the virus was ravaging Europe and Asia and just taking hold in South America.

Now, Brazil is the country with the second-highest number of infections and deaths in the world, after the United States.

The tourism industry has already lost nearly 122 billion reals ($23.6 billion) because of the pandemic, the National Confederation of Trade in Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC) estimates.

As a whole, Latin America's biggest economy is facing a record contraction of 9.1 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

AFP

Under the measure, Brazil will require foreign visitors staying for 90 days or less to have health insurance covering them in the country before they travel.

Brazil for its part is among the countries whose nationals still face bans on entering the European Union or the United States under coronavirus restrictions.

Whatever it takes

Meanwhile healthcare workers are not only treating patients but also volunteering to test some of the vaccines.

Brazil has the second-highest number of infections and deaths after US.

Which means while it is bad news, it is also the best place to test potential vaccines.

The job of guinea pig falls to medical staff who work in facilities treating patients infected by the virus, because they are the most likely to come into contact with it, enabling researchers to run a controlled experiment to see how well it works.

"I want to contribute, and this is my contribution -- through science," said pediatrician Monica Levi, one of 5,000 volunteers in Brazil helping test one of the most promising vaccines so far, developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.

Levi, 53, works at the Specialized Clinic for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases and Immunizations (Cedipi) in Sao Paulo, the epicenter of the outbreak.

AFP

Last week, Brazil also became the first country carrying out Phase 3 trials of Chinese vaccine CoronaVac, developed by pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech.

Phase 3 clinical trials involve large-scale testing on humans, the last step before vaccines seek regulatory approval.

Medical workers play the starring role in testing that vaccine, too.

"They pick health care professionals because we are constantly at risk," Levi said.

Volunteers must be between 18 and 55 years old, work in a patient care role and have no underlying medical conditions.

Half the volunteers in the Oxford trial are receiving the vaccine and the other half a placebo.

But they will only know which a year from now.

AFP

Levi got her shot on July 21, and had a headache and chills the first day, she said.

"But I don't even know if they gave me the vaccine or the placebo," she added.

While she waits to find out -- and to learn whether the vaccine is the exit from the pandemic that the whole world is hoping for -- she goes to regular check-ups where researchers monitor her health.

Scientists worldwide are racing to develop and test a vaccine for the virus. There are more than 150 projects so far.

But there are no guarantees in the high-stakes race.

Brazil has a deal to make up to 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine if it proves effective.

But if it doesn't, said Levi, "it will all go in the garbage."