"I have already stated in other articles and I repeat again: we are adrift in the middle of a pandemic. And the deaths, unfortunately, are just beginning." From the article.
The article below was written on the 25th of April, by a local journalist, when there were only 105 confirmed cases in Parauapebas. It is translated from the Portugese. The pictures of the recently deceased medical staff are taken from other sources.
The projections are just that: projections. The truth is that, in Brazil, underreporting is rampant. Vale is trying, on the one hand, to assist the nation- it has recently purchased 15.1 million items of PPE for the country, and is building 3 field hospitals- 2 in Minas Gerais and one in Para (Parauapebas). On the other hand, Vale is quite sensitive about publicising the extent of the problem.
In Para, for example, as of the 13th May, 87.5 % of all available ICU beds were occupied. Parauapebas is not a poor city, it is the support city for a super mine, just 50 ks away. But what is happening there?
Dr Marcelino died in Parauapebas of Covid 19:April 24, 2020
2000 people may die from Covid-19 in Parauapebas
Published Date: April 25, 2020 7:54:00 PM By Sinvaldo Braga
With a chilling 105 confirmed cases and seven deathsso far, Parauapebas is saying goodbye to this Saturday (25th) as the thirdmunicipality most affected by the new coronavirus in Pará, second only to Belémand Ananindeua. Parauapebas, the second largest producer of wealth in Pará has,shockingly, more than twice as many positive cases than all of the state of Tocantins (50) and three times more deaths than the neighboring state (two).
With a chilling 105 confirmed cases and seven deaths so far, Parauapebas is saying goodbye to this Saturday (25th) as the third municipality most affected by the new coronavirus in Pará, second only to Belém and Ananindeua. Parauapebas, the second largest producer of wealth in Pará has, shockingly more than twice as many positive cases than all of the state of Tocantins (50) and three times more deaths than the neighboring state (two).
In the last 48 hours, 61 more cases were confirmed, a brutal increase of 156%. The graph below lists the number of cases according to their respective confirmation dates. The abrupt jumps that are observed in the curve have been installing a frame of fear and apprehension in the citizens of Paraíba. And also those who are on the front lines in the fight against Covid-19: health professionals.
When looking at the growth curve on the graph, it is easy to see that the number of infected people is accelerating uncontrollably, and the worst: these days are just the beginning of a long and painful process.
Among doctors working in the public and private networks, the consensus is that Parauapebas suffers strongly from underreporting. These professionals believe, the municipality would already have, in a conservative projection, more than 1,000 infected, and the estimate does not stop rising.
Several health professionals believe that, due to the weakness of municipal managers in the face of the seriousness of the problem, practically the entire population should, sooner or later, be contaminated by the new coronavirus
something around 200 thousand people. Of these, at least 20% will need hospital care, which would add 40 thousand people in the corridors of the city's hospitals due to complications from Covid-19.
Intubating in a hospital in Parauapebas
But doctors go beyond the estimates: of the total number of contaminated people who will be hospitalized, at least 5% will die, that is, 2,000 people may die during the coronavirus pandemic in Parauapebas.
By the way, these predictions are even optimistic and take into account scientific parameters to calculate the true number of contaminated in a scenario of underreporting. The apocalyptic numbers of positive coronavirus tests and deaths resulting fromit will be the result of the total unpreparedness and discredit of the municipal government, which is unable to convince people to maintain social isolation - nor does it endeavor to do so -, which, if followed strictly would cause the numbers to drop dramatically at the same speed as they have been increasing.
Even more delicate is the reality in the service capacity of the Hospital Geral de Parauapebas (HGP), which has only one intensive care physician. In fact, this doctor, the only one of his kind who works in Parauapebas is not even a member of the staff of the Municipal Health Secretariat (Semsa), but an employee of a private company. In desperation, the city hired the experienced professional to "break a branch".
Nurse Robson,Died May 8, 2020 of COVID 19 in Parauapebas.
"Fought the good fight."
However, a swallow alone does not make a summer, especially in the fight against an invisible organism, low, fast and lethal. This sad reality would explain the uncomfortable fact that several of the patients of Covid-19 who were admitted to the HGP ICU did not leave there alive. In addition to lacking intensive care experience, the most experienced doctors on the staff suffer from the duty ceiling and, instead of being valued, they are passed over by recent graduates still sought at the door of the college.
Between the January and March payrolls, the number of doctors hired increased from 176 to 193 professionals, but no intensive care specialists, who, although a gold medalist in these difficult times, is extremely appropriate for the moment - and the city hall cashier from Parauapebas is able to pay easily, wasting of public money, for so many frivolities.
There is still time to curb the contamination curve in the municipality, but this will require unprecedented effort and commitment on the part of the municipal authorities and, also, of the citizens.
As one of these more than 200 thousand citizens of Parauapebas, I, unfortunately, have no hope of the commitment of the municipal mayor and his disqualified secretaries.
I have already stated in other articles and I repeat again: we are adrift in the middle of a pandemic. And the deaths, unfortunately, are just beginning.
Save yourself if you can!
(20min delay)