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. 2020 Jun 8;19(1):91.
doi: 10.1186/s12939-020-01207-2.

Who is going to pay the price of Covid-19? Reflections about an unequal Brazil

Fabiana Ribeiro  1   2 , Anja Leist  3
Affiliations

Who is going to pay the price of Covid-19? Reflections about an unequal Brazil

Fabiana Ribeiro et al. Int J Equity Health. .

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused high mortality rates among older people, and in order to avoid a healthcare system crisis, almost all countries worldwide have adopted social isolation measures to prevent the spread of the disease. However, in Brazil, a country demarcated by economic inequalities, in which approximately 25% of the population live below the poverty line, these measures will cost severe economic losses and accentuated starvation. For this reason, the underprivileged population should be immediately prioritized and well informed through good practice to avoid the virus. Since, government discrepancies in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak leaves the population without congruent guidelines on how to react or what to believe, allowing the spread of fake news and political crises. Here, we discuss who will pay the price of the Brazilian government denying the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and suggest some measures to ensure that clear information and protection reach this population.

A pandemia da COVID-19 tem causado altas taxas de mortalidade entre os idosos e para evitar uma crise no sistema de saúde, quase todos os países do mundo adotaram medidas de isolamento social para evitar a disseminação da doença. Entretanto, no Brasil, um país demarcado pelas desigualdades econômicas, no qual aproximadamente 25% da população vive abaixo da linha de pobreza, essas medidas custarão severas perdas econômicas e acentuarão a fome. Por essa razão, a população desprivilegiada deve ser imediatamente priorizada e bem informada através de boas práticas para evitar o vírus. Visto que as discrepâncias governamentais no tratamento da epidemia da COVID-19 deixam a população sem diretrizes congruentes sobre como reagir ou no que acreditar, permitindo a disseminação de notícias falsas e crises políticas. Aqui, discutimos quem vai “pagar a conta” do governo brasileiro negando o impacto da pandemia da COVID-19 e sugerimos algumas medidas para garantir que proteção e informações claras cheguem a essa população.

Keywords: COVID-19; Government discrepancies; Low-income population.

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Conflict of interest statement

Not applicable.

References

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