As of 20 May 2021, Brazil was the country with the second-highest number of COVID-19 deaths and the third-highest number of COVID-19 cases in absolute numbers in the world. In relative numbers, on 20 May 2021, the 7-day daily rolling average of deaths was 9.08 per million people in Brazil. From the beginning of the pandemic until 20 May 2021, the Brazilian cumulative mortality rate was 2078 per million inhabitants. In late 2020, Manaus, a state capital in the heart of the Amazon region, experienced chaos as oxygen supplies were depleted and intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy exceeded 100%, generating waiting lists. A couple of months later, all remaining 25 states in Brazil experienced the same problem, with waiting lists for ICU beds and shortages of medical supplies. The surge of a new variant (P.1.) in the country in late 2020 partially explains this chaotic situation, but the variant was actually both a cause and a consequence of Brazil’s monumental failure at responding to the pandemic, as variants are more likely to emerge in places where the virus is circulating widely. Fifteen months into the pandemic, and despite these frightening numbers, Brazil has adopted neither national- nor state-level lockdowns, and the president himself fails to wear a mask at public gatherings. As scientists, we attempt to counterattack by disseminating evidence-based policies implemented in other countries and by conducting much-needed research, as we describe below.

中文翻译：

---

在大流行和否认主义时期进行流行病学研究的挑战：巴西 EPICOVID-19 项目一周年

截至 2021 年 5 月 20 日，巴西是世界上 COVID-19 死亡人数第二多和 COVID-19 病例数第三多的国家。相对数字而言，2021 年 5 月 20 日，巴西 7 天每日平均死亡人数为每百万人 9.08 人。从大流行开始到 2021 年 5 月 20 日，巴西的累计死亡率为每百万居民 2078 人。2020 年底，位于亚马逊地区中心的州首府马瑙斯经历了混乱，因为氧气供应耗尽，重症监护病房 (ICU) 入住率超过 100%，产生了等候名单。几个月后，巴西剩下的所有 25 个州都遇到了同样的问题，ICU 床位的等待名单和医疗用品短缺。新变种的激增（P.1. ) 在该国 2020 年末出现部分解释了这种混乱局面，但该变种实际上既是巴西在应对大流行方面的巨大失败的原因也是结果，因为变种更有可能出现在病毒广泛传播的地方。大流行发生 15 个月后，尽管有这些可怕的数字，巴西既没有采取国家级也没有采取州级的封锁措施，总统本人也没有在公共集会上戴口罩。作为科学家，我们试图通过传播在其他国家实施的循证政策和开展急需的研究来进行反击，如下所述。因为变种更有可能出现在病毒广泛传播的地方。大流行发生 15 个月后，尽管有这些可怕的数字，巴西既没有采取国家级也没有采取州级的封锁措施，总统本人也没有在公共集会上戴口罩。作为科学家，我们试图通过传播在其他国家实施的循证政策和开展急需的研究来进行反击，如下所述。因为变种更有可能出现在病毒广泛传播的地方。大流行发生 15 个月后，尽管有这些可怕的数字，巴西既没有采取国家级也没有采取州级的封锁措施，总统本人也没有在公共集会上戴口罩。作为科学家，我们试图通过传播在其他国家实施的循证政策和开展急需的研究来进行反击，如下所述。