Doctor working with Amazon tribe tests positive for coronavirus

[canetoad]

Source: The Age

By Anthony Boadle
March 28, 2020 — 11.44am

Brasilia: A doctor working with the largest indigenous group in the Amazon has tested positive for the coronavirus, Brazil's Health Ministry said on Friday, ringing alarm bells that the epidemic could spread to vulnerable and remote indigenous communities with devastating effect.

The doctor, who has not been named, had returned from holidays on March 18 to work with the Ticunas, a group of more than 30,000 people who live in the upper Amazon near the borders with Colombia and Peru.

He developed a fever later that day and went into isolation, testing positive for the respiratory disease COVID-19 a week later, the ministry said.

Eight tribe members he treated on his first day back working for the indigenous health service Sesai have also been isolated in their homes and are being monitored, the ministry said.

Read more: https://www.theage.com.au/world/south-america/doctor-working-with-amazon-tribe-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-20200328-p54esm.html

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I just don't know what to say.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

1. Unbelievable!

Thanks a lot, doc!

[Sunriser13]

5. IMO, utmost irresponsibility by the doctor.

By March 18, when the doctor returned from holiday, Covid-19 was well known to be widespread and exceptionally virulent. He also knew indigenous tribes were quite vulnerable to disease from outside, most especially respiratory ailments.

Why, oh why didn't he self-quarantine after his vacation? He of all people should have known better.

[spin]

2. It would be interesting to know how this indigenous group got exposed to ...

COVID-19.

Perhaps this excerpt from the article in the OP explains it.

News website G1's columnist Matheus Leitão reported that the doctor is Brazilian and may have caught the virus while vacationing in southern Brazil or on the boat ride up the Amazon to his work place at Santo Antônio do Içá.
https://www.theage.com.au/world/south-america/doctor-working-with-amazon-tribe-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-20200328-p54esm.html

[BigmanPigman]

3. I read on DU last night that even on Easter Island people

have been infected already.

[FakeNoose]

4. The CV virus came from bats

I'm guessing there are bats in Peru, Colombia and Brazil. The only thing we don't know is whether the bats in different countries are practicing safe-distancing. (Not!)

Friends I'm not being snarky here, we need to realize the virus can come at us from any place where bats have been first.

[Bluedolphin1406]

6. It jumped from bats to humans...

...in China. That does not mean that all bats throughout the world are now carrying Caronavirus and are a threat to humans. It jumped to humans in China, and is being passed human to human now.

[milestogo]

8. Unless there was an international bat conference in February.

But that's a long way to fly.

[FakeNoose]

9. China has container ships going everywhere on the globe

[milestogo]

11. They probably don't deliver to remote Amazon tribes

but I guess anything is possible.

[IronLionZion]

10. There may have been some pangolins involved in between

[FM123]

7. This news is just heartbreaking.

Yes this will have a devastating effect if it spreads to those in remote indigenous communities, they are so vulnerable.