Brazil's COVID-19 response

As physicians and scientists, the COVID-19 pandemic has been disheartening; first and foremost, for the lives lost to the disease and, second, because of the mistreatment of science and evidence-based medicine.¹ In the lay media, which is the right environment to discuss and understand politics, we have observed pseudoscience.

If that was not enough, we have also dealt with The Lancet ² embarking on commentaries that have nothing to do with science but pseudopolitics. The zealots might rest. The purpose of this Correspondence is not to defend the Swedish policy of avoiding confinement against COVID-19, or the indefensible president of Brazil. Because, despite the misguided rhetoric of its ruler, Brazil is not doing so poorly when compared with other countries.

With its continental size, shameful income distribution, and a historically poor education record, the mortality rate in Brazil is no worse than that of high-income countries. Political problems in Brazil are complex and were treated superficially and inappropriately in the Editorial² about Brazil's response to COVID-19.

When The Lancet publishes a research article, no scientist doubts the veracity of the data and their interpretations. The Editors of The Lancet should focus their Editorials on the scientific and health-care aspects of this sanitary crisis. Otherwise, if the prestigious journal remains interested in dwelling in the territory of politics, it would be wise to use scientific methods—instead of relying on superficial data—to avoid becoming a propeller for pseudopolitics as much as the lay media has become one for pseudoscience.