Thread by @Reuters

Flavio Falcone's patients know him as The Clown, not as a doctor.

He treats a growing number of Brazilians, driven onto the street by the COVID-19 pandemic which has devastated the country's economy reut.rs/3rZc1XB

Falcone, a psychiatrist, has become an icon in Brazil's 'cracolandia,' or crackland: a dangerous wasteland of about eight blocks in the historic center of Sao Paulo where addicts twitch and pushers roam

Costumed as a jester with a bright red nose, Falcone is not your average carnival clown.

Infused with hip-hop street culture, he sports a gold chain and flat brimmed cap and struts the streets followed by a speaker blaring rap

Working with actress Andrea Macera, Falcone uses costumes and music to break the ice with the homeless as a first step to getting them the mental health and addiction treatment they need

In April 2020, one month after the pandemic first hit Brazil, the government closed down a homeless shelter as part of an effort to clean up the city center to make way for construction.

The nearest shelter is about 3 kilometers away

Falcone and Macera helped find housing for about 20 of those displaced and to distribute 200 tents provided by a Brazilian non-government organization

His work in the neighborhood since 2012 has earned him a loyal following.

One man who received addiction help from Falcone tattooed the word 'clown' in Portuguese on his wrist

With government support receding from crackland, Falcone has tried to fill the void.

Read his full story reut.rs/3rZc1XB by 📷 @AMPerobelli