Updated May 18th, 2020 at 10:53 IST

Brazilians lead disinfecting effort in Manaus neighborhood

Residents of a neighborhood in Manaus are leading an effort to disinfect their homes and their streets as a way to fight against the new coronavirus.

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Residents of a neighborhood in Manaus are leading an effort to disinfect their homes and their streets as a way to fight against the new coronavirus.

After seeing an increasing number of confirming cases and deaths of Covid-19 in their community, residents of Betania bought cleaning products and asked City Hall for help sending a truck with water to clean the neighbourhood.

Antonio Sena, president of the residents association walked through the streets on Saturday with a speaker, calling people to go out and participate in the disinfection efforts.

"If you clean inside your house, use alcohol gel and bleach to keep your place and your house clean, why don't you clean the entrance of your house?" said Sena, who said that several people died in his community.

In addition to the cleaning where neighbours participated, the residents' association is also distributing food and masks, and soon will launch a program to give psychological help to the relatives of those who lost their loved ones during the pandemic.

Manaus, a city in the heart of the Amazon region, is one of the most affected by the virus in Brazil. By Saturday it registered more than 10 thousand cases and at least 920 deaths, with 67% of the coronavirus related deaths in the Amazonas state having taken place in the city.

Brazil has more than 15,600 deaths and 233 thousand cases, though many experts say the figure is significantly higher due to insufficient testing. In recent days, more than 800 people have been added to the death toll every 24 hours and the crisis' peak has yet to hit Latin America's largest nation.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms including fever and cough. The risk of death is greater for the elderly and people with other health problems.

 

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Published May 18th, 2020 at 10:53 IST