The new figures are horrific:Peru has just released statistics showing that more than 180, 000 people have died in connection with a coronavirus infection and not 70, 000, as originally stated.
The readjusted numbers leave it with the world's worst per capita death rate, atmore than 500 deaths per 100, 000 residents. This bombshell has made headline news elsewhere in the worldbut hardly got a mention in Peru itself.
Perhaps that says it all about a country that has become inured to the lack of intensive care beds and oxygen, as well as torich people paying to jump the vaccination queue. Withpresidential elections coming up on Sunday, Peru is in election fever. Despite the ongoing danger, the pandemic is taking a back seat for a few days.
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But how can figures suddenly more than double? The explanation is quite simple. Up to now, Peru's statistics have included only the deaths of people who tested positivefor COVID. The new figures include those whose clinical data probably indicate that they were infected.
In Brazil, South America's biggestnation, the scale of the pandemic has also taken on new dimensions. Peru's eastern neighbor has now recorded more than 463, 000 COVID-linked deaths andis number two in the world behind the United States in terms of overall fatalities.
The origins of the initial outbreak in Rio de Janeiro tells us a lot about why South America has been so hard hit by the virus. Housekeeper Cleonice Goncalves —Rio's first suspected coronavirus victim — wasprobably infected at work. In all likelihood, her employers contracted the virus during Carnival celebrations in Italy and brought it back with them to Brazil. This apparent route of infection has beentypical in the region:South America's upper classes imported the disease from Europe, and then the virus spread like wildfire through poor, overpopulated neighborhoods where hygienic standards are often catastrophic.
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Topping off this lethal pandemic cocktail, Brazil's populist president has dismissed COVID as being nothing more than a little flu. Jair Bolsonaro also continues to refuse to imposea lockdown. Brazil and its 212 million populace is currently sliding into the third wave at full speed due to the contagious Brazilian P1 variant, now also known as gamma in WHO terminology.But that has not stoppedthe country's plans to host the continent'sCopa America soccer tournament.
Argentia, by contrast, was extremely relieved that it had managed to finally free itself of the job of putting on the Copa. The nation had partially inherited the job from Colombia after the South American football association Conmebolruled that Bogotawas unable to co-host the event because of social unrest. Argentina is currently undergoing its worst phase of the pandemic so far, with a record figure of more than 40, 000 new cases on one single day.
President Alberto Fernandez and his government have reacted with an extremely strict lockdown. Last year, too, no other South Americans had to spend as long confined in their own four walls as the 45 million Argentines.Fernandez likes to style himself as the opposite of Bolsanaro, but his record isn't an awful lot better. More than 78, 000 people have died of COVID-19 in Argentina so far.
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With almost one in two Argentinesnow living beneath the poverty level, many people are left with no other alternative than to ignore the coronavirus restrictions, if they want to feed their families. Alongside a whole army of poor in South America, they are trying to keep their heads above water with all manner of jobs. The indling middle classes have also had enough. Argentina, a country that stumbles from one bankruptcy to another like no other nation in the region, is a pushover for the virus.
For decades now, Uruguay has tended to look with pity at its bigger neighbor on the other side of the Rio de la Plata when it comes to the economy. The country is still frequently referred to as the Switzerland of South America and many Argentines prefer to invest their money there rather than at home.
And last year, the tiny nation also presenteditself as South America's number one when it came to dealing with the pandemic. On some days there were no new cases at all registered among its 3.5 million inhabitants and, on others, there were frequently no more than 20 new infections.
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But Uruguay has most definitely lost its model studentstatus. Three days ago, it recorded almost 6, 000 new infections and its death toll has risen to almost 4, 300. It is an example of what happens when a country thinks that it has triumphed over the virus and that it is safe to stop wearing masks and abandon social distancing.
Just over 5% of the world's population live in South America, but one in three of the world's COVID deaths hasbeen recorded there. Winter is beginning again in the southern hemisphere and the region's hospitals are overcrowded and unable to cope.
What's more, South America is at the back of the queue when it comes to vaccines. Virologists sayIt is an ideal breeding ground for new variants that are likely to move on to the rest of the world.
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After Argentina pulled out of Copa America 2021 hosting duties on the weekend, the virus-variant-hit Brazil will take over, prompting criticism and disbelief from politicians, local media, and medical experts.Coronavirus cases have been going up sharply in Latin America, although there are signs that the numbers of new cases may be beginning to drop in some countries.
Brazil has had more than 4.5 million confirmed cases - the third highest tally in the world after the US and India - and has had the most deaths after the US.
Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Peru have also had major outbreaks, and are in the top 10 countries with the most confirmed cases.
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Daily case numbers surged from May onwards, as they began to fall in European countries badly hit by the virus, like the UK, France and Italy.
The WHO says weekly numbers of reported cases have started dropping in some nations, but points out that Argentina and some Caribbean nations are still seeing rising numbers of new cases.
Argentina, despite an early and strict lockdown, is seeing rapidly rising numbers, with new cases above 10, 000 for most days since the end of August.
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In Brazil, daily case numbers have been fluctuating, but they are now down from a peak of more than 69, 000 recorded in a single day at the end of July.
In Mexico and Colombia, daily reported cases numbers have started dropping. Peru, which saw a resurgence in cases in August, is also seeing decreasing numbers.
The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) says that only a consistent decrease in daily cases would show if a region or country has passed the peak for infections.
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It has also pointed out that within particular countries, some areas are seeing dramatic surges in case numbers, for example areas of Colombia which border Venezuela.
It is important to keep in mind that many cases can go undetected and numbers must therefore be interpreted with caution, a PAHO spokesperson told the .
The two most populous nations, Brazil and Mexico, have seen the highest number of deaths - more than 137, 000 and 73, 000 respectively, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.
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However, the WHO notes that the numbers of deaths in region are on the decline, largely because of decreases in Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador and Bolivia.
It's worth remembering that in addition to cases, deaths may also be under-reported, and that countries record deaths in different ways, making it hard to compare like for like.
Chile has one of Latin America's highest rates of testing - it had done more than 158 tests per 1, 000 people as of 20 September.
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But testing in many countries has been well below some other parts of the world, according to the most recent figures compiled by Our World in Data, a UK-based project which collates Covid-19 information.
Mexico has tested just over 11 people for every 1, 000 as of 14 September, and Brazil had tested just over 27 in every 1, 000 as of 12 September (the latest data available) - compared with more than 311 per 1, 000 in the US (as of 17 September).
And of the tests these countries are doing, very high proportions are turning out to be positive, suggesting that they are not testing widely enough to find all cases.
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For example, Colombia has been finding a positive case after only every three to four tests, and Argentina and Mexico after between one and three tests.
In fact, the WHO points out that in recent weeks, the percentage of coronavirus tests in Argentina coming back positive has exceeded 40%.
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