Brazil: Sao Paulo Expects up to 8,000 Deaths in July

In its latest report on the pandemic's possible evolution, the Sao Paulo state government warns that between 355,000 and 470,000 new cases could be verified until July 31. If this happens, between 3,000 and 8,000 patients could die and the cumulative death toll could be between 18,000 and 23,000.

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As of Thursday morning, Sao Paulo had 302,179 people infected since 12,244 new cases were detected in the last 24 hours, as local Health Secretary Jose Germann reported. 

Referring to the indicators of "excess deaths" published by the Financial Times, the University of Sao Paulo virologist Paulo Latufo stressed that the total number of natural deaths in the city grew by 35 percent during the pandemic.

"Mortality is due to both people with chronic diseases and those who cannot receive health care," Latufo explained, adding that the 77 percent of excess deaths were due to COVID-19.

The Coronavirus Contingency Center Secretary Joao Gabbardo noted that epidemiological projections are undermining some previously unfounded claims.

"Regardless of what the death certificates say, the number of people who died is much greater than the number from previous years. This nullifies the malicious claim that doctors would be inflating the numbers and defrauding the system by placing a diagnosis of COVID -19 where it did not exist,” Gabbardo said.

As of Thursday morning, Brazil had reported 1,476,884 COVID-19 cases and 61,314 deaths. These figures are surpassed only by the U.S., which has reported 2,810,646 COVID-19 cases and 131,172 deaths so far.