Brazil, one of the countries in the world most affected by the pandemic, on Thursday recorded 2,245 deaths and 67,467 cases of covid-19 in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health reported. According to the latest bulletin, the total number of coronavirus deaths amounted to 456,674, while the number of infections reached 16,342,162. Rio de Janeiro has passed the threshold of 50,000 deaths and has become the second state in the country with the highest number of victims of the disease. Meanwhile, the contagion curve continues to rise. The average daily number of infections in the last 7 days stood at 64,010, after falling to just over 56,000 at the end of April. Specialists have already warned of the possible arrival of a third wave in the coming weeks, at a time when vaccination it is progressing slowly in the country, with only 10% of the population following the full program, after receiving the two doses of the vaccine. The lack of vaccines in the country is one of the fronts that is being targeted by a parliamentary commission investigating the possible omissions of the government of President Jair Bolsonaro during the management of the pandemic.
Facebook vetoes Wuhan laboratory theories
Facebook will veto the publication of theories claiming that covid-19 emerged from a laboratory. “In light of ongoing investigations into the origins of COVID-19 and in consultation with health experts, we will no longer remove claims from our platforms that COVID-19 was man-made or manufactured,” said the group, which also owns Instagram. Months ago, Facebook included a ban on theories suggesting a human creation behind the virus, as well as the alleged ineffectiveness of anticovid vaccines or that they could be toxic or dangerous.
“We continue to work with experts to monitor the evolving nature of the pandemic and regularly update our policies as new facts and trends emerge,” Facebook said. The decision comes in a context where the theory of a laboratory accident in Wuhan, China, has regained vigor in the debate in the United States, after being long rejected by most experts. And requests for further research are multiplying in the scientific community. US President Joe Biden on Wednesday asked his intelligence agencies to “redouble their efforts” to explain the origin of the coronavirus and requested a report within 90 days. The natural origin hypothesis holds that the virus originated in bats and then passed to humans, probably through an intermediate species.