Herd immunity no-show

摘要

HOSPITALS in the Brazilian state of Amazonas are collapsing under the strain of covid-19 once again. This is despite a high rate of coronavirus cases during the first wave of the virus, and suggests that if herd immunity by infection is possible, it may be harder to achieve than previously thought. In Manaus, the capital of Amazonas, hospital beds are unavailable. People are queuing to buy oxygen tanks from private suppliers to try to treat family or friends, as oxygen supplies in hospitals were exhausted by 15 January. Oxygen donations from nearby regions are now being rationed. The state is "in the most critical moment of the pandemic", said the state's governor, Wilson Lima, on 15 January.