Faced with the new peak of transmission of the coronavirus in the region, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned of the possible health collapse in several countries and demanded a greater arrival of vaccines through the COVAX mechanism and donations. Meanwhile, 150,000 doses of the Russian drug Sputnik V arrived in India, minimal aid for a country overwhelmed by the pandemic.
The situation of the coronavirus presents different realities depending on the point of the globe that is observed. While Europe and the United States witness a relief in the health scenario, infections and deaths skyrocket in Latin America and, above all, in India, the global epicenter of the pandemic at this time.
Given the accelerated spread of the virus, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) called “urgently” for the arrival of more vaccines to the Latin region. While India seeks to strengthen its immunization campaign, although it suffers from a shortage of drugs and a health collapse.
In figures, Covid-19 so far leaves more than 151 million cases in the world, more than 3.1 million deaths and 89 million recovered, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University.
Here are the most important news related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this May 1:
- PAHO calls for the “urgent” arrival of vaccines to curb the virus in Latin America
While facing an accelerated rebound in cases and a possible health collapse, America recorded 25% of deaths from coronavirus in the last week, according to data from the World Health Organization. In other words, one out of every four deaths from the disease in the world occurred on this continent.
In particular, Latin American countries are bearing the brunt, as a result of a strong rebound in cases, uneven progress in vaccination campaigns, and relaxation in compliance with health measures by some sectors of the population .
Ciro Ugarte, director of Sanitary Emergencies of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), warned on Friday that “Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina and Uruguay are in new transmission peaks, with a dramatic increase in infections, and their services sanitary facilities are saturated “, while” in Colombia infections could soon reach the record levels of January, and ICUs and hospitals are reaching the limit in cities such as Bogotá or Medellín. “
A panorama that also extends to Central American countries such as Costa Rica or Guatemala, and to Caribbean nations, such as Guadeloupe, Martinique, Bahamas and Anguilla, according to the director of PAHO, Carissa Etienne.
In this context, Ugarte claimed that “Latin America and the Caribbean urgently need more vaccines against Covid-19 through mechanisms such as COVAX and donations.” In this sense, the expert warned that the number of young hospitalized patients is growing, given that they are the most exposed to the virus and those with the least access to injections.
Almost seven million doses have arrived in the countries of this region in the first round of distribution arranged by the global COVAX coalition, and more are expected in May and June.
- India receives 150,000 doses of Sputnik V amid sanitary overflow
Amid the health collapse and vaccine shortages, India received 150,000 doses of the Russian drug Sputnik V from Russia, a spokesman for the country’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Saturday.
The first shipment of the inoculant arrived in the city of Hyderabad, where the headquarters of the pharmaceutical company Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories are located. This entity received permission last month to import the Russian vaccine, of which “millions of doses” will arrive, according to the statements of the aforementioned spokesman for the Indian Foreign Ministry.
However, this reinforcement seems to be a drop in the ocean for a country that, despite being the largest producer of vaccines in the world, cannot cope with a massive vaccination campaign. Even so, the Government of Narendra Modi ordered this Saturday the extension of immunization to all people over 18 years of age, with the hope of curbing the circulation of the disease.
The overflow of the pandemic in India has caused a health collapse, with a shortage of oxygen to care for the sick and lack of beds and medicines, as well as record numbers of infections. By case, this Saturday registered 401,993 infections in a single day, the highest daily rate of new infections in the country and in the world.
Added to this daunting scenario is the appearance of variant B.1.617 and other mutations of the coronavirus that, according to a forum of scientific advisers created by the Indian government, could “possibly evade the immune response.” However, experts noted that while more studies are needed, there is no reason to believe that these mutations are spreading or more dangerous.
- Criticisms in Australia for the threat of jail for travelers arriving from India
The Australian Government launched a controversial measure to shield the country from India’s delicate health situation. From Monday, Australian nationals and residents from India or who have been in that nation for the past 14 days will be barred from entering Australia. And those who disobey these regulations will run the risk of receiving fines and up to five years in prison.
This is the first time that Australia has made it a crime for its citizens to return to their country, claiming that breaking the ban would represent a violation of the Biosafety Act. Authorities will reconsider these measures on May 15.
The decision was quickly criticized by human rights organizations, who indicated that the government should focus more on improving its quarantine system, which has little capacity to guarantee the isolation of those who return to the country from abroad.
Elaine Person, director of Human Rights Watch in Australia, described the Executive’s measure as “an outrageous response” and remarked that “Australians have the right to return to their own country.”
For her part, Neela Janakiramanan, an Australian surgeon with a family in India, considered that the decision to “criminalize” Australians returning from India was disproportionate and excessively punitive. “The Indian-Australians see this as a racist policy because they treat us differently from people in other countries who have had similar waves of infection like the United States, United Kingdom and Europe. It is very difficult to feel more than a target as a ethnic group, “he questioned.
With Reuters and EFE
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source https://pledgetimes.com/covid19hoy-paho-warns-of-the-urgent-need-for-more-vaccines-for-latin-america/
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