Brazil’s Covid crisis is a warning, scientists say
Covid-19 has already left a trail of death and despair in Brazil, one of the worst outbreaks in the world. Now the country is battling a more contagious variant that may cause reinfection.
While Brazilians toss away precautionary measures, testing is limited and the vaccine rollout is slow. On Tuesday, more than 1,700 Covid-19 deaths were recorded, Brazil’s highest single-day toll of the pandemic.
Studies suggest that a variant that swept through the city of Manaus appears able to infect some people who have recovered from other versions of the virus. That variant has been found in about two dozen other countries, including the U.S.
Quotable: “You need vaccines to get in the way of these things,” a Harvard epidemiologist said of the variants. “The immunity you get with your cemeteries running out of room, even that will not be enough to protect you.”
Here are the latest updates and maps of the pandemic.
In other developments:

■ German leaders are considering extending the country’s 11-week lockdown, set to expire next week. Regional leaders have called for loosening restrictions, but scientists are still worried about the variants.

■ India’s Bharat Biotech said on Wednesday that its vaccine, Covaxin, had shown 81 percent efficacy in interim trials.

■ Texas is ending its mask mandate and reopening all businesses. Its governor took the action even after health officials warned against loosening restrictions as the variants spread.

■ The Tokyo Olympics will decide by the end of March if it will allow international spectators to attend the Games this summer in Japan.
The New York Times