Brazil has been reporting thousands of new confirmed coronavirus daily but the health ministry said it appears that the virus has been contained due in part to seasonal changes.
Interim Health Minister Talks of Brazil's COVID-19 Status
Brazilian interim health minister Eduardo Pazuello on Wednesday said during a media briefing that the COVID-19 situation in the country seems "under control."
Pazuello went on to explain that the continuous increase in new coronavirus cases across the country is "partly due to winter." He said the colder season increased the chances of contamination.
Finally, Pazuello said he is hoping the Brazilian health system will now be more prepared against the disease after it has experienced facing the novel virus head-on.
It is worth noting that on Wednesday, the second hardest-hit country in the world logged a total of 67,860 new COVID-19 cases, marking the highest daily increase in infections that Brazil reported since the pandemic.
Bolsonaro Tests Positive Again
News of Brazil's record-breaking spike in daily cases came after Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said tested COVID-19 positive for the third time after the first positive test came out earlier this month.
A statement from the Communications Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that while the president has tested positive again, he "is still in good condition" and the presidential medical team is monitoring Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro is known for downplaying the coronavirus during the earlier days of the outbreak. He has also been promoting the intake of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment against the disease.
Chile Trains Dogs to Sniff Out Virus
Over in Chile, dogs are being trained to detect COVID-19 in humans as part of the efforts to help the country reopen while ensuring that those infected will be treated as necessary.
Chilean police revealed that the "bio-detector" dogs which will be trained until mid-September are expected to sniff out the virus in regions across the country where there are high concentrations of infections.
The Chilean police believe that canines can be taught to sniff out the virus due to the history of dogs being used to detect explosives, drugs, and even human excretions during body searches.
There has yet to be a study that confirms dogs can detect whether a person has been infected with COVID-19 or not, especially among asymptomatic cases.
Latin America Soars Past 4 Million Infections
The latest AFP tally based on official data revealed that the Latin American region reached a grim milestone on Wednesday, logging a total of 4,040,925 confirmed coronavirus cases.
Brazil remains the hardest hit country in the region, with over half of the infections.
As for the total number of fatalities in the region, the death toll now stands at 172,886. The Latin American countries account for the highest death toll of any region only behind Europe.
In the global toll, there are four Latin American nations in the top 10 list of hardest-hit countries namely Brazil, Peru, Mexico, and Chile.
