Amazon Tribe Fears of Massive Deaths as 15-Year-Old Boy Dies From COVID-19

(Photo : REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo)
FILE PHOTO: Indigenous people from the Mura tribe show a deforested area in unmarked indigenous lands, inside the Amazon rainforest near Humaita, Amazonas State, Brazil August 20, 2019. Picture taken August 20, 2019.

After one of the members of an isolated Amazon tribe died after being infected with COVID-19, fears are growing as they could be possibly be wiped out.

The first-ever casualty is a 15-year-old boy who lives in the rainforest in Brazil and a member of Yanomami people. He succumbed due to complications of the highly-communicable virus.

COVID-19 causes worry among Amazon tribes

Due to their remoteness and lack of immunity to foreign diseases, it is the first confirmed coronavirus case within the tribe.

Officials released that after acquiring the virus, he was right away treated at an intensive care unit at a hospital in the capital of the Northern Brazilian state of Roraima, Boa Vista.

Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta shared on Wednesday's press conference that they have confirmed a case among the Yanomami which has become very worrying. He also said that this calls for caution within the indigenous communities especially to those which have very limited contact with the outside world.

According to the country's record, Brazil now has at least seven confirmed coronavirus cases wherein a 20-year-old woman from the Kokama tribe tested positive last week.

With Brazil having 300 ethnic groups with an estimated 800,000 indigenous people, around 27,000 of them were Yanomami which is known for their face paint and intricate piercings but despite their remoteness, the tribe was devastated by outbreaks of measles and malaria in the early 70s.

With more than 18,000 cases and a death toll of 957, Brazil has been the worst affected country among South American nations by the COVID-19.

Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's president sparked criticism over claims that he hasn't taken the pandemic seriously enough after casting doubt on the advice of the experts with regards to social distancing, possible death toll and quarantining, On March he also dismissed the spread of COVID-19 as a media fantasy, and after a few weeks described it as a mild flu.

Brazil reduces environmental enforcement effort amidst coronavirus

Despite the concerns about a possible surge in deforestation, Brazil will reduce efforts to fight environmental crimes during the pandemic crisis.

Aside from issues concerning its environmental impact, it is also the possible angle that critics are looking at as to why there are indigenous people infected with the coronavirus.

Ibama environmental agency, director of environmental protection shared that the outbreak left them little choice but to send fewer enforcement agents in the field.

Olivaldi Azevedo estimated that almost one-third of Ibama's field operatives were near 60 years old or enduring medical conditions that make them vulnerable to the virus and have greater risks acquiring it.

Because of government budget cuts, Ibama has not hired new agents in years and Azevedo added that there is no way you can take these people who are at risk and expose them to the virus and there is no choice between one thing and the other for it is an obligation.

Not authorized to speak to the media, two sources at Ibama shared that the rank-and-file field agents were worried about their health and the hazard that they could spread the COVID-19 to the rural areas where they are assigned.