It's not just a number
One year and three months after confirming the first case of Covid-19 in the national territory, Brazil reaches the mark of 500 thousand deaths caused by the new coronavirus. It's not just a number. There are lives, names, stories and dreams abruptly interrupted; It's Brazil losing a little of itself. Unicamp, saddened and unhappy, sympathizes with all the people who suffer as a result of these losses and pays homage to all the victims, declaring official mourning for three days.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Unicamp has taken a proactive stance on several fronts, ranging from developing research to contain the spread of the disease to providing direct assistance to the population through its hospital complex. In addition to the diagnosis and treatment of Covid-19, Unicamp actively inserted itself into the state regulatory system, expanding its number of beds and mobilizing a large contingent of health professionals, who continue to work on the front line to save lives, often at the expense of their own health.
Despite the efforts made by all professionals in the academic community, the health situation in the country is still extremely worrying. As a public institution committed to teaching, research, extension and assistance, Unicamp reiterates its position, already expressed on many occasions: the loss of thousands of lives cannot be trivialized; an integrated national plan to combat the pandemic is necessary. Omission, scientific denialism, lack of commitment to the truth and political use of such a serious situation give this scenario contours that go far beyond mere fatality. Five hundred thousand is not just a number.
Out of respect for the thousands of bereaved families, Unicamp will continue to collaborate with the authorities and the population to combat the pandemic. More than rhetoric, it is a choice: defending life.
Dean of Unicamp
Campinas, June 20, 2021.
See also the joint note from the Executive Directorate of Human Rights and the Unicamp Human Rights Observatory. Access the link.
Read the ordinance that decrees three days of official mourning this link.
