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Corona pandemia in the favela Paraisópolis, in São Paulo

VG + 30 May 2020 18:36

The private ambulance service run into the favela Paraisópolis, in São Paulo, where no one else dares to go.Here, they encounter a desperate need for help. Brazil has been coronapandemiens new epicentre.

Helseteamet on four working around the clock to help the 100,000 inhabitants. VG got to be with them into the depths of the favela.

Your phone to Renata Alves Ferreira Santos (39) rings in one run.Her phone number has spread in the favela. Never before have they had the ambulance here.

Then came the covid-19, and the private ambulance jerked into the labyrintaktige, unnamed streets.

Almost 23.000 people have lost the life of coronaviruset in Brazil. The country has the second largest number of infected in the world, after the united STATES, and WHO has declared that South America, with Brazil in the lead, is the virus's new epicentre.

Hardest hit is São Paulo. In gigantbyens second largest favela Paraisópolis has so far 38 people died of the corona. How many are infected, ancestors no. But they know that they are more vulnerable than most.

The place bears the name "paradisbyen", but reminds more about hell.

Many live in extreme poverty. Life expectancy is 63,5 years, ten years less than in the riksmannsområdet Morumbi. The nearest hospital is located outside the reach of those who need it most. Søppelbergene grow high in the rennesteinen, the water rods at 20 every night and the people live so tightly that they can't have windows between the houses.

Brazil's largest mafia Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), the ruler of the favela, and on every street corner, there are armed men. Public health workers dare not enter here.

But Renata know mafialedelsen. With her as mellomperson and dealer, helseteamet operate under the criminals ' mercy. Her cellphone has been the coronarammede slummens new emergency.

It is rarely quiet.

Doctor Ricardo Vieira (42) rises out of the ambulance. The rest of the way, he must go on foot. Most of the streets are impassable for cars.Far into the favela, meets a 26-year-old woman. She has great difficulty breathing, chest pain and fever.They transport her to the emergency room outside of the slums.Ricardo has the full smittevernutstyr when they visit a 23-year-old coronasmittet woman who is isolated in his studio.They measure blood pressure and temperature of a woman (54) who have tested positive for the virus.Another woman tells us that she has a headache, difficulty breathing and that she has not managed to eat or drink in a single week. They take her to the emergency room.

Really should the ambulance service only treat coronapasienter, but now they help all who need them – all the ranks. They planned to work 24 hours on, 24 hours off. But instead, they have worked constantly since march.

Helseteamet have just as well moved into the favela on a temporary basis, and given up to return to their families. At home waiting Ricardos son at a year and a half. Adriana has a granddaughter she didn't get to see. But perhaps it is just as well, so they don't have to risk infecting them.

Nurse Enderson César Ferreira Matos (37) get on smittevernfrakken inside of the team's improvised little chamber on an empty nursing home.It is here they sleep, eat and plan. Nurse Adriana Bianchi (49) ranks just to stretch your legs.Shortly afterwards, she is in place in the ambulance again. She is exhausted after weeks of work.Cida (32) is appointed to one of the many "gatepresidenter" in the favela. She has responsibility for 50 families ' health during the pandemic.When someone on her list is sick, she calls the ambulance.It is said about the Paraisópolis that if you are not from there, you go you wild.

Mørketallene for the dead and infected are probably large. The mafia has purchased the 20,000 coronatester to the private ambulance service, but each test takes almost a half hour to complete. They don't have time to test wide.

One of the team, doctor Ricardo, has been proven infection. Still, he works. There is no other to take over, " he says.

The ambulance service is trying as best they can to follow the smittevernreglene. They use the coats, gloves and surgical masks. Really should the sprite down the ambulance between each patient, but there is rarely time to.

On new have the emergency number called. Someone needs help somewhere in the slumområdene.

A 60-year-old woman has had a heart attack. She lives so cramped that they do not get into sykehusbåren. Enderson must defy care and carry her in his arms.60-year-old is clearly posted when they are driving her away with the ambulance.A woman (34) have had panic attacks after she began to feel short of breath. They give her oxygen and trying to calm her down.Ricardo helps a patient out of the ambulance. The man has diabetes and high blood pressure, and has had laboured breathing for the last few days.

Somewhere in the favela, feel like a man bad. The ambulance service travel to his home, where he lies on the bed under a blanket. Ricardo asks him gape high and the lights down in his neck to see if it is inflamed.

In Latin America's largest cemetery Vila Formosa in São Paulo, graves, the thousands of new graves. The rich kremeres and placed in the urns on the familiegravlunden. While all of the other ducks here – in body bags in cheap coffins sponsored by the state, buried tight in tight in a separate section for coronaofre.

About three years shall they be dug up again. There should be space for new dead.

The coffin is about to burst, when a man, who died of corona, is being lifted down into the grave. His family will mourn.A man cries over the coffin of his deceased wife (75). She died of breathing problems, but coronatesten is still not ready.Whole life, they have been together. Now he is not allowed to see her one last time.

Published: 29.05.20 at. 18:36