The BRICS response to COVID-19

PDF
Published: Jun 30, 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/hapscpbs.24966
Pedro Fonseca
Federal University of Pernambuco
Samuel Spellmann
Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0898-779X
Lucas Gualberto do Nascimento
State University of São Paulo
Elena Bastrykina
Far Eastern Federal University
Arindam Das
Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani
Abstract
Since late 2019, SARS-CoV2 pandemic has spread worldwide. After several generations without a severe pandemic, the mixture of health and economic crisis has hit populations in all continents. The high degree of connectivity that States share, enabled by the current transportation and communication technologies, caused different regions of the world to be affected by coronavirus disease at almost the same time. Yet States responses to the SARS-CoV2 pandemic were not the same. This brief focuses on the BRICS countries individual, bilateral and collective responses to the international health crisis caused by coronavirus disease, from the early detection of COVID-19 cases in China in late December 2019 to the current surge of cases in Brazil.
Article Details
  • Section
  • Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
Author Biographies
Pedro Fonseca, Federal University of Pernambuco
Pedro Fonseca is Master’s Degree Candidate in Political Science at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) and at the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) scholarship.
Samuel Spellmann, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais

Samuel Spellmann is PhD Candidate in International Relations at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC-Minas) and Minas Gerais Research Funding Foundation (FAPEMIG) scholarship.

Lucas Gualberto do Nascimento, State University of São Paulo

Lucas Gualberto do Nascimento is Master’s Degree Candidate in Social Sciences - International Relations and Development at the State University of São Paulo (Unesp).

Elena Bastrykina, Far Eastern Federal University
Elena Bastrykina is Bachelor’s Degree Candidate in International Relations at Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU).
Arindam Das, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani

Arindam Das is PhD Candidate in Economics at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Hyderabad Campus (BITS) and Member of the International Initiative for Promoting Political Economy (IIPPE).

References
AFRICA CDC (2020). Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Available at: https://africacdc.org/covid-19/. (Accessed: June 16, 2020).
BBC (2020). Coronavirus declared global health emergency by WHO. London: BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51318246. (Accessed: June 16, 2020).
BRICS (2020). BRICS and the SCO summits postponed. Available at: https://eng.brics-russia2020.ru/news/20200527/395729/BRICS-and-the-SCO-summits-postponed.html. (Accessed: May 28, 2020).
CGTN (2020). China Global Television Network. Highlights: China issues white paper on COVID-19 fight. Available at: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-06-07/China-issues-white-paper-on-COVID-19-fight-R7Be1Ggswg/index.html. (Accessed: June 9, 2020).
Chappell, B. (2020). Coronavirus has now spread to all regions of Mainland China. Washington, DC: National Public Radio (NPR). Available at: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/01/30/801142924/coronavirus-has-now-spread-to-all-regions-of-mainland-china. (Accessed: June 16, 2020).
Chevtaeva, I. (2020). Sobyanin banned mass events in Moscow [Собянин запретил массовые мероприятия в Москве]. Moscow: Vedomosti. Available at: https://www.vedomosti.ru/society/articles/2020/03/10/824847-sobyanin. (Accessed: June 12, 2020).
JOHNS HOPKINS (2020). Coronavirus Resource Center. Available at: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html. (Accessed: June 12, 2020).
Khan, N. (2020). New virus discovered by Chinese scientists investigating pneumonia outbreak. Hong Kong: The Wall Street Journal. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-virus-discovered-by-chinese-scientists-investigating-pneumonia-outbreak-11578485668. (Accessed: June 16, 2020).
NIDC, National Institute for Communicable Diseases (2020). FIRST CASE OF COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS REPORTED IN SA. Available at: https://www.nicd.ac.za/first-case-of-covid-19-coronavirus-reported-in-sa/#:~:text=This%20morning%2C%20Thursday%20March%205,Africa%20on%20March%201%2C%202020. (Accessed: May 27, 2020).
Osborn, A. (2020). Russia to roll out its first approved Covid-19 drug next week. Moscow: Reuters. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-exclusive/exclusive-russia-to-roll-out-its-first-approved-covid-19-drug-next-week-idUSKBN2381FR. (Accessed: June 3, 2020).
Ramaphosa, C. (2020a). Statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on measures to combat COVID-19 epidemic. South Africa: sacoronavirus. Available at: https://sacoronavirus.co.za/2020/03/15/statement-by-president-cyril-ramaphosa-on-measures-to-combat-covid-19-epidemic/. (Accessed: May 30, 2020).
Ramaphosa, C. (2020b). From the Desk of the President (8th June 2020). South Africa: sacoronavirus. Available at: https://sacoronavirus.co.za/2020/06/08/from-the-desk-of-the-president-8th-june-2020/. (Accessed: June 10, 2020).
Reuters (2020a). Mainland China sees imported coronavirus cases exceed new local infections for first time. Beijing: The Straits Times, 2020. Available at: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/mainland-china-reports-11-new-coronavirus-cases-on-march-13. (Accessed: June 16, 2020).
Reuters (2020b). Russia plans coronavirus vaccine clinical trials in two weeks. Moscow: Reuters, 2020. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia-cases/russia-plans-coronavirus-vaccine-clinical-trials-in-two-weeks-report-idUSKBN2360BJ. (Accessed: June 3, 2020).
Reuters (2020c). South America is a new COVID 'epicentre', African deaths still low - WHO. 2020. Available in https://br.reuters.com/article/healthcareSector/idUSL8N2D44NB. (Accessed: May 23, 2020).
Ria Novosti (2020). The first two cases of coronavirus infection have been identified in Russia [В России выявили два первых случая заражения коронавирусом]. Moscow: Russia. Available at: https://ria.ru/20200131/1564113463.html. (Accessed: June 12, 2020).
Russian Government [Правительство России] (2020). Mikhail Mishustin approved the composition of the operational headquarters to prevent the importation and spread of new coronavirus infection in Russia [Михаил Мишустин утвердил состав оперативного штаба по предупреждению завоза и распространения новой коронавирусной инфекции на территории России]. Moscow: Russia. Available at: http://government.ru/news/38865/. (Accessed: June 12, 2020).
TASS (2020a). High alert due to coronavirus introduced throughout Russia [Режим повышенной готовности из-за коронавируса введен на всей территории России]. Moscow: Tass. Available at: https://tass.ru/obschestvo/8027563. (Accessed: June 12, 2020).
TASS (2020b). Russia introduces a temporary restriction on the entry of Chinese citizens to Russia [Россия вводит временное ограничение на въезд граждан Китая в Россию]. Moscow: Tass. Available at: https://tass.ru/obschestvo/7800949. (Accessed: June 12, 2020).
SCIO (2020). The State Council Information Office. Fighting Covid-19 China in Action. Available at: http://english.www.gov.cn/news/topnews/202006/07/content_WS5edc559ac6d066592a449030.html. (Accessed: June 20, 2020).
Vedomosti (2020). Foreigners will be banned from March 18 to enter Russia [Иностранцам запретят с 18 марта въезд в Россию]. Moscow: Vedomosti. Available at: https://www.vedomosti.ru/politics/news/2020/03/16/825338-inostrantsam. (Accessed: June 12, 2020).
Wang, X. (2020). Coronavirus: China should rein in ‘wolf warrior’ diplomats and let its actions do the talking. Hong Kong: South China Morning Post. Available at: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3085709/coronavirus-china-should-rein-wolf-warrior-diplomats-and-let-its. (Accessed: June 16, 2020).
Wiysonge, S. C. (2020). South Africa’s War on COVID-19. Think Global Health. Available at: https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/south-africas-war-covid-19. (Accessed: May 1, 2020).
Wonk, C. (2020). Tests on nearly 10 million people in Chinese city of Wuhan turn up only 300 coronavirus cases. South China Morning Post. Available at: https://www.scmp.com/video/coronavirus/3087342/tests-nearly-10-million-people-chinese-city-wuhan-turn-only-300. (Accessed: June 5, 2020).
Worldometer (2020a). Total Coronavirus cases in China. Worldometer. Available at: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/china/. (Accessed: June 16, 2020).
Worldometer (2020b). Total Coronavirus cases in Russia. Worldometer. Available at: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/russia/. (Accessed: June 12, 2020).
Xinhua (2020). China steps up inactivated Covid-19 vaccine development. Beijing: China Daily, 2020. Available at: http://covid-19.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202006/01/WS5ed50236a310a8b24115a032.html. (Accessed: June 16, 2020).