MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Brazil erratic strategy to combat Covid-19: advocates the use of chloroquine
“We are at war. Worse than defeat would be the shame of not putting up a fight,” Bolsonaro tweeted about the government decision to put forward the drugs 
Interim Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello, an active-duty army general, authorized the modified protocol to promote the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. Brazil's coronavirus outbreak worsened on Wednesday and the country with a population of 210 million could soon have the second-highest number of cases in the world as the Health Ministry reported 888 new deaths and nearly 20,000 new infections in a single day.
Brazil might soon trail only the United States in the number of coronavirus cases. Russia currently has the second-highest number of cases. Brazil's coronavirus death toll is 18,859.
Brazil's confirmed case tally now stands at 291,579, according to the Health Ministry. On Monday, Brazil overtook Britain to become the country with the third-highest number of infections and registered a daily record of 1,179 deaths on Tuesday.
President Jair Bolsonaro has been widely criticized for his handling of the outbreak The far-right former army captain has long snubbed social-distancing measures, arguing instead for the reopening the economy
He has also become an increasingly strong advocate for the malaria drug chloroquine as a possible remedy for Covid-19, despite warnings from health experts.
Undeterred, the president has ordered the military to ramp up production of the drug as he makes it a key element in the anti-virus fight, losing two health ministers in the process due in part to their objections to the plan.
On Wednesday, the Health Ministry issued new guidelines for wider use of anti-malarial drugs in mild coronavirus cases.
Interim Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello, an active-duty army general, authorized the modified protocol after two trained doctors left the ministry's top job under pressure to promote the early use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine.
“We are at war. Worse than defeat would be the shame of not putting up a fight,” Bolsonaro tweeted about the government decision to put forward the drugs without proof of their effectiveness.
Gonzalo Vecina Neto, the former head of Brazil's health regulator, Anvisa, called the new measures a “barbarity” that could cause more harm than good because of the dangerous potential side effects of the drug. “It has no scientific evidence,” Vecina Neto said, “It's unbelievable that in the 21st century, we are living off magical thinking.”
The controversy is just the latest twist in Brazil's erratic strategy to tackle the virus, with Bolsonaro pushing to restart the economy while local authorities try to enforce lockdowns and restrict activities to control it.
Since the start of the pandemic, Bolsonaro has often touted the anti-malarial medication. In small, yet frequent weekend demonstrations against social distancing, his supporters often carry signs asking for it to be authorized for use in the public health system.
Even US President Donald Trump has backed the practice, saying on Monday that he's been taking hydroxychloroquine, a sister drug, as a precautionary measure.
With the new guidelines, the health ministry now recommends the use of chloroquine or hydroxichloroquine by all Covid-19 patients, including children, starting in the early stages of infection. They must be prescribed by a doctor and patients will have to sign a document saying they understand the risks of taking the medication.
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Read all commentsEM “Jair Bolsonaro should face ...”
May 23rd, 2020 - 09:29 am +1Chicureo “Bolsonaro is not a criminal”
Brazil's US masters have already decided he has to go, so he will be gone.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/22/bolsonaro-brazil-cabinet-video-court-judge
Pugol-H
May 24th, 2020 - 04:59 pm +1Enjoyed BOTH videos and they express my sentiment as well. (Especially my experience in the signal corps) Although I was taught in school to revere the Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson — as a newly commissioned “seafarer” I was bewitched and enchanted by a brainwashed sorceress praising blasphemy about the mad Corsican. (Young raging hormones easily overcome reason and logic.)
Did a walk through part of our vineyard and found a few remaining small clusters of sunburned unharvested Flame Seedless that are as sweet as honey. It was like an Easter egg hunt in the yellowed aged leaves and I have a basket full for snacking. Next week we'll begin the pruning the vines.
During this crisis around us, I'm very saddened that the two massive walnut trees nearby the farmhouse are dying and its now clear — in a windstorm they endanger the farmhouse. What's killing them is “thousand cankers disease” and they will need to be cut down — hopefully milled as the lumber is very sentimental.
I remain hopeful that there will be a rapid restart to the world's economy and this financial depression we're facing will cause a great deal of suffering. Chile has correctly identified our focus should be protecting the aged which the virus has taken such a vengeful wrath upon.
As of yesterday in Chile, there have been 43 in the past 24 hours and 673 total confirmed COVID-19 deaths, of which 624 were 65 years or older.
Madame and my daughter were stopped two times on their route to the new apartment to check their specific salvoconducto by our vigilant Carabineros.
Gollum/Sméagol
I sent you about as honest and precise description of my current living squalor, and yet you maliciously attack my campesino downtrodden solitude here in the hinterland with mendacious cut-and-paste nonsense. Have you no shame...?
Loser.....?
May 24th, 2020 - 10:51 pm +1It's amazing how the crazed little mechanical mendacious monkey is triggered with a link to his superior living conditions than my humble solitude.
https://www.richmond.com/dating-in-richmond-grown-man-living-in-mom-s-basement/article_59675fe4-563c-11e4-ae7a-001a4bcf6878.html
He keeps madly noisily clanging its two little cymbals at the mere mention of bathroom facilities, which I've honestly shared is an outdoor port-a-loo...
Tonight's dinner is Marraqueta bread with Panquehue smoked ham and the sweet grape clusters accompanied with a '09 Errazuriz Kai Carménère.
¡Saludos!
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