Sharp rise in Coronavirus cases in Latin America

Special Desk

Latin America is now being watched by the world community as Coronavirus cases here have been rising sharply in many Latin American countries.

Brazil has more than 250,000 confirmed cases – now the third highest in the world and this has been causing concern to the regional health authorities. Other countries in the region, Mexico, Chile and Peru, are also struggling to contain outbreaks.

Brazil has become the sixth country to record more than 20,000 coronavirus deaths, reporting nearly 1,200 in the past day, a record high.  While experts put that Brazil is still a few weeks away from reaching the peak of the outbreak. They pointed that insufficient testing means the official figures don’t show the true picture.

With new confirmed cases in the US plateauing and many European countries reporting declining numbers, is Latin America may be on way to become the new epicentre of the pandemic? The first confirmed case in Latin America was identified in Brazil on 26 February, and researchers said there are indications that there were cases as early as January. Coronavirus has since then spread to every country in the region.

This is far fewer cases and deaths than in Europe and the US, but testing is nowhere near as widespread and deaths may be under-reported. Latin America’s two most populous nations, Mexico and Brazil, have seen the highest number of deaths, more than 6,000 and 18,000 respectively.

Researchers say both could be significantly under-reporting deaths, with many cases going undiagnosed. Peru has reported the 12th highest number of cases in the world with almost 100,000 confirmed – more than China. And Chile is reporting thousands of new coronavirus cases each day, with more than 500 people dead.

Unlike in the US and most countries in Europe, many countries in Latin America are seeing their daily cases and deaths increase. Looking at Brazil, Mexico and Peru compared to the worst hit countries in Europe in terms of deaths – the UK, Italy and France – see daily deaths are growing in Latin American nations as they drop elsewhere.

Testing across the region is significantly below other parts of the world. Mexico has carried out 1.2 tests per 1,000 people, compared with almost 36 per 1,000 in the US.