Thread by @AkshayaSays

A grim milestone: 5 million people have died from Covid-19, as of today. As @FacesOfCOVID shows, these were 5M fathers, brothers, sisters, mothers, sons and daughters. 5M who are mourned deeply, who gasped for breath, who are missed.

In their honor, 5 truths about this pandemic

(1) We know we've undercounted. People around the world have died at home without medical attention, many places lack tests to diagnose, identify and track Covid-19, and health care systems are stretched to the max. 5 million is not the full picture.

(2) 5 million deaths is a number that could have been reduced, substantially. Just six countries account for the vast majority of those lives, and in all six there's evidence of serious gaps in the public health response.

US 🇺🇸
Brazil 🇧🇷
India 🇮🇳
Mexico 🇲🇽
Russia 🇷🇺
Peru 🇵🇪

In the 🇺🇸US, @TheLancet commission found up to 40% of deaths in the US could have been averted thelancet.com/journals/lance…

In 🇧🇷Brazil, a 1,100-page report lays bare the impact of Jair Bolsanaro's moves over the past 2 years, as he turned his back on science and endangered the health and lives of Brazilians.

hrw.org/news/2021/10/2…

In 🇮🇳 India, it's impossible not to see how the country's closing space for dissent and civil society exacerbated the public health crisis and led to more death & devastation for Indians hrw.org/news/2021/05/1…

In 🇲🇽 Mexico, President AMLO refused to wear a mask and continued holding public events around the country, giving hugs and kisses some supporters even as Covid-19 death toll rose hrw.org/news/2021/02/0…

In 🇷🇺 Russia, shortages of personal protective equipment, hospital beds, and medications exacerbated the existing limited access to health care. The country is going through a devastating 4th wave carnegieendowment.org/2021/10/28/rus…

In 🇵🇪Peru, after adjusting its counting criteria in May, the death toll sits at the highest per capital in the world france24.com/en/live-news/2…

(3) Covid-19 vaccines save lives, but they could save more lives if they were available everywhere to all people who need them.

Due to vaccine nationalism & hoarding, we've failed to get doses in the arms of most people living in poorer countries.

https://twitter.com/AkshayaSays/status/1437762775313534977?s=20

(4) We can't ignore the racial disparities that have defined who lives and who dies from this disease. This is true in countries with structural racism around the world

US 🇺🇸 - nbcnews.com/news/us-news/b…
Australia 🇦🇺 - hrw.org/news/2021/08/1…
UK 🇬🇧- bmj.com/content/372/bm…

5) Around the world, health workers have been on the front lines of fighting this virus, often working without the protection equipment they need to stay safe. Too many of them lost their lives to #COVID19

Kenya 🇰🇪 hrw.org/news/2021/10/2…
Yemen 🇾🇪 hrw.org/news/2021/07/0…