A Yanomami indigenous boy has died after contracting COVID-19 , authorities in Brazil said on Friday, raising fears for the Amazon tribe, which is known for its vulnerability to disease. The 15-year-old boy, the first Yanomami to be diagnosed with the virus, was hospitalised a week ago at an intensive care unit in Boa Vista, the capital of the northern State of Roraima, officials said.
He died of severe respiratory complications on Thursday night, the Brazilian Health Ministry said in a statement.
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A Yanomami rights group said the boy had come in to contact with “many” other indigenous people after he began showing symptoms.
The Hutukara Association blamed “inadequate medical care” for the boy’s death, saying he went more than two weeks without a diagnosis from the time he first went to the hospital with symptoms. It called on the authorities to track them down and help them undergo testing and self-isolation. It also urged the government to crack down on illegal gold miners on indigenous lands, believed to be the source of the contagion.
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Brazil is home to an estimated 8,00,000 indigenous people from more than 300 ethnic groups. The Yanomami number around 27,000. The boy was studying to become a teacher in the indigenous reserve of Boqueirao, said the Hutukara Association.
Published - April 11, 2020 10:00 pm IST
