Reports of mass graves as Latin America becomes new pandemic epicenter

Enlarge / Nursing professionals light candles to honor the 84 nurse victims of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country amidst the coronavirus pandemic on May 12, 2020 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (credit: Getty | Miguel Schincariol)

As deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic begin to plateau and slowly decline in some parts of Europe and the United States, the devastation is reaching a fever pitch in Latin America.

Death tolls in cities and areas of Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador are reaching alarming levels-in some places five times higher than normal death rates-according to an analysis by The New York Times.

While some of the official death tolls from the pandemic remain low, a review of mortality data by the Times reveals significant increases. The death counts include those directly from COVID-19 and also those from other causes-which in some cases may be due in part to people not being able to receive a standard level of care while health systems are overwhelmed during the pandemic.

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