Brazil's health minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, said that the country would be able to manage a coronavirus outbreak similar to that of China. After the number of cases exploded in China, a stabilization followed.
"If it behaves this way, 50,000 cases in São Paulo, which is the size of Wuhan, are perfectly manageable," said Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta.
The minister said it is necessary to see how the virus will behave in the summer and in a tropical country.
"My fear is Rio Grande do Sul because when it had H1N1, it was the place with the highest number of cases and deaths. If it likes agglomeration more than the cold, Rio de Janeiro becomes my biggest concern. "
"Humanity has always lived with viruses," said the minister, who sees panic as something natural. "It amplifies too much because of computers."
After Brazil identified its first positive test, on Tuesday (25), the number of suspected cases jumped from 20 to 132, as the list of countries with confirmed patients grew to 16.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon