Psychologie anormale et comportementale

The COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil and the Psychological Symptoms Identified by Browns and Blacks

Abstract

Breno Bezerra de Andrade* and Silvana Batista Gaino

The existing inequalities in Brazil mean that there are greater vulnerabilities in certain regions and ethnic groups. Studies indicate that due to the lack of investments in the public health system and the large concentration of populations in slums and peripheries without basic sanitation and drinking water, the spread of COVID-19 has grown alarmingly. The repetition of the holocaust of indigenous, brown and black people makes evident the disintegration of a social system that is said to be globalized. Statistics published in April indicated that when the race/color variable was considered, browns and blacks accounted for 37.4% of hospitalizations and 45.2% of deaths. However, the mandatory inclusion of data related to the color of victims in pandemic deaths has not been respected even though it is pointed out that the adequate collection of information is essential for the establishment of protocols for mobilization and treatment of the population, as well as for containing the spread of the disease. The viruses and the formulation of public policies. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychological symptoms identified by browns and blacks during the critical period of pandemic, in the months of May and June 2020.