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HealthPeru

Peru struggles to keep up amid COVID deaths

Sp: Wright, Louisa/A: Anne HerrbergAugust 11, 2021

As fears of a third coronavirus wave loom, healthcare workers in Peru are struggling to help COVID patients. The newly discovered "Lambda" variant has doctors concerned, but the country lacks the adequate means and data to monitor the situation.

https://p.dw.com/p/3yqYR

Peru has the highest COVID-19 mortality rate of any country, with more than 180,000 of its 33 million inhabitants having died from the virus. Health services are barley able to help those most in need, and there's a lack of oxygen for those worst affected. While infection rates have been decreasing in recent weeks, there's concern about yet another wave that could hit soon. The immunization campaign is only slowly taking off, and doctors are worried about a new virus mutation labled "Lambda," which was recently discovered in the country. It's already responsible for 80% of infections in Peru.

Reporter: Anne Herrberg / presenter: Louisa Wright