Brothers campaign to curb virus in Brazil favela

Two brothers started a disinfecting campaign to stop the spread of coronavirus at the Santa Marta favela in Rio De Janeiro on Friday.

Rio de Janeiro is the epicenter of the outbreak in Brazil, and as the number of coronavirus cases increased over the past weeks two young men decided to take action and help their community.

Thiago Firmino lives and works as a tour guide in the slum, he helped organise a fundraiser to buy sanitation equipment and together with his brother and a group of volunteers they went through the narrow streets of the neighbourhood on Good Friday disinfecting areas to help combat the spread of COVID-19.

Many residents showed support by clapping, cheering and helping them in the challenging work.The living condition in the favelas, where houses are very close to each other and many families share single rooms sometimes with no running water, makes it extremely difficult for residents to follow the measures recommended to stop the spread of Covid-19.

"We don't want to see more deaths. The favela has always fought for life," Jorge Alexandre Firmino said.As of Friday, at least 1,056 people have died from coronavirus and more than 19,000 have been infected in Brazil.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.

(Image Credit: AP)