Episode 1 – The world from covid 19
The webinar series “The world from the coronavirus”, created by ABC in April 2020, brought together scientists from different areas to discuss the impacts of covid 19 in Brazil and in the world. In the first edition, ABC invited a doctor, an economist and an anthropologist to imagine the impacts of the pandemic on society. The debate was led by the then president of ABC, Luiz Davidovich.
The doctor and Academic Mauro Teixeira (UFMG) characterized the virus, spoke about the collapse of health systems and the need for scientific caution, emphasizing that there was still no proof of the effectiveness of drugs such as chloroquine and that avoiding infection should be the priority. He emphasized the importance of social isolation, increased testing, and planning based on scientific evidence, noting that vaccine development is a long process.
Economist and Academic Naercio Menezes (Insper) addressed the effects of the pandemic on the economy and the social fabric, predicting recession, increased unemployment, poverty, severe impacts on child development, especially among vulnerable populations. Anthropologist and academic Ruben Oliven (UFRGS) analyzed the crisis from a social and historical perspective, criticizing the economic model that deepens inequalities and defending the central role of the State in protecting the most vulnerable. Both warned that the pandemic tends to aggravate structural problems in Brazil, such as inequality and social exclusion, and that its future effects will depend on the depth of the crisis and the ability of society and public policies to organize.
Oliven criticized the economic model that privileges the market to the detriment of social protection, defending the fundamental role of the State in caring for the most vulnerable. “The economy can be governed by the market, but society should not be governed by it. If so, who is going to take care of the elderly, people living with disabilities, the most vulnerable populations? The market cannot do this. The State has a fundamental role there. We will have a different world in the future, depending on the depth of the crisis. In Brazil, we may still see an increase in poverty and inequality,” he said
Link to the webinar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o12uy_i7pU&list=PLOMY7wSRDrybbtA8qLCfuJHHmnRRg4FQl
Link to the article:
https://www.abc.org.br/2020/06/15/o-mundo-a-partir-do-coronavirus-aspectos-economicos-sociais-e-de-saude/
