world view | SERIES world view | SERIES From denial to hope: Brazil deals with a prolonged COVID-19 epidemic course Brazil must strengthen science-based education to improve human development and responses to future public health threats.

Credit: Márcio Alves

t the end of February 2020, when I of January 2021, Brazil had already lost over This outstanding intellectual network has apprehensively followed the advance 220,000 lives, and there had been more than kept young scientists enthusiastic and has Aof a deadly wave of COVID-19 9 million cases of infection. compensated the community for the lack of in Europe, huge crowds clustered in the Exposed to conflicting information scientific meetings. streets to celebrate Carnival in Brazil. Later, from the news and different layers of This year, government agencies epidemiologists revealed that SARS-CoV-2 government, and overshadowed by concentrated resources and fellowships had reached Brazil 1–3 months before the misinformation from social media, on COVID-19 efforts. Brazilian scientists first case of COVID-19 was reported on Brazilians were left on their own to make promptly responded with valuable research 25 February 2020. decisions about life-saving measures, such into the pathogenic roles of neutrophil In the previous five years, Brazilians as wearing masks and adopting social extracellular traps (Veras, F. P. et al. had struggled with an economic recession distancing. Hence, as the antivaccine J. Exp. Med. 217, e20201129, 2020) and coupled with sharp political and social movements resurged, the number of people inflammasomes (Rodrigues, T. S. et al. tensions, further fueled by science-negating receiving routine vaccines has fallen in J. Exp. Med. 218, e20201707, 2020), leaders. Moreover, the Brazilian government Brazil, despite the previous successful providing new avenues for therapy. has disrupted the environmental protection immunization programs. Furthermore, Biochemists and immunologists at my agencies, allowing the upscaling of illegal recent surveys revealed an ongoing university cooperated to develop inexpensive forest clearing, which accelerates climate campaign against SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, diagnosis tools and hyperimmune sera in change and the emergence of new zoonotic whereas current political rivalries may partnership with the Vital Brazil Institute. diseases. In the Amazon rainforest, the ultimately hamper their management The Oswaldo Cruz and Butantan Institutes, indigenous populations have the highest and distribution. Thus, while vaccination universities and pharmaceutical companies risk of poor social and health outcomes. becomes a reality in developed countries, it assembled international networks to Undoubtedly, this alarming scenario remains an unfulfilled promise here. conduct investigations and clinical trials on precludes the necessary efforts to cope with After a decade of progress, recent immunotherapy and vaccine development. the COVID-19 pandemic and compromises Brazilian governments have substantially While the level 3 biosafety labs, which the response to future public health and decreased investment in science, can run SARS-CoV-2 experiments, became environmental crises in Brazil. compromising the development of human busier, most laboratories remained closed The dismantling of a dedicated team and material resources. Postdocs have for 2–3 months, and essential services at the Ministry of Health, caused by the been particularly affected, by joining and such as animal and equipment facilities exclusion of experienced epidemiologists, thus expanding large research groups with have run under restrictions. Since July, prevented the establishment of a national available fellowships, by moving abroad for following the stepwise reopening of the leadership group and coherent public opportunities, or by leaving their scientific economy, research has gradually returned health policies to confront COVID-19. careers altogether. Moreover, postdocs with restricted numbers and rotating lab After the first reported death on 16 March, do not have opportunities to develop personnel. Nevertheless, viral infection has scientific boards recommended mobility independent careers, as jobs remain scarce been detected in the university campuses, and other restrictions in the metropolitan at our universities. The uncertainty about while simultaneously, we have seen a areas, which were also implemented around work conditions as well as the quarantine steady increase in the cases of COVID-19 the country, at the discretion of local certainly heightened anxiety levels, and overloaded hospitals, leading to some authorities. The infection reproduction rate mainly among graduate students, and tragic outcomes. Moreover, a rise in rates

(R0) abruptly dropped from 3 (de Souza, overwhelmed female scientists with of respiratory syndrome and insufficient W. M. et al. Nat. Hum. Behav. https://doi. children who required home care. testing point to underreporting of org/10.1038/s41562-020-0928-4, 2020) During social isolation that was imposed SARS-CoV-2 in the country. to slightly above 1, and it has remained at to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, Epidemiological surveys indicate that the that level since then. Likewise, there has most scientists at the universities were prevalence of infection inversely correlates been continuous reporting of deaths, rather unprepared for virtual teaching, and they with educational, economic and social than in successive waves, which has been a had to learn new strategies to interact with indicators. Sadly, SARS-CoV-2 infection hallmark of COVID-19 in Brazil, caused by graduate and undergraduate students. In disseminates in the neighborhoods where SARS-CoV-2 propagation and recirculation parallel, we have experienced new and big families share small houses and use throughout the Brazilian states. At the end exciting national and international webinars. overcrowded public transportation to travel

256 Nature Immunology | VOL 22 | March 2021 | 256–261 | www.nature.com/natureimmunology SERIES | world view SERIES | world view to workplaces and schools. More recently, as ethics, critical thinking and searching for development and reduce the economic infection has spread in crowded shopping reliable information. and social gaps between Brazil and areas, beaches, bars and parties, reflecting Fortunately, COVID-19 has placed developed countries. ❐ denial, as well as little responsibility, science and immunology in the headlines, empathy, solidarity or respect for patients, with the Brazilian media highlighting Marcela F. Lopes ✉ mourning families and healthcare workers. the unprecedented vaccine endeavor. By Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Federal Overall, the advent of COVID-19 has teaching graduate students engaged in our University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. strengthened our view that social and successful programs about immunology ✉e-mail: [email protected] educational issues underlie the risk of as a scientific career, I have realized that exposure to life-threatening infectious we do need more scientists to overcome Published online: 24 February 2021 diseases and that lack of knowledge is one of COVID-19 and future public health https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-021-00875-8 the saddest outcomes of social inequity. In challenges. I hope that increasing social this regard, it urges us to educate Brazilian inclusion of young people through education Competing interests children in the principles of science, such and science will help human and scientific The author declares no competing interests.

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