P1 variant is spreading in Brazil and it hits like a truck. Hospitalizations more than doubled in some places as little as three weeks. It can spread fairly quickly even in places without previous outbreaks and it outcompetes the P2 variant as much as the others, so it looks like the N501Y mutation drives its spread far more than some spike antibody resistance from the E484K mutation (which was already present in a lot of places with P2).
The number of people in ICUs is, well, sky-high. Higher than the peaks in Europe during either wave, except it's a plateau and not a peak. The only reason deaths aren't as high is because the population is younger (meaning that they tend to survive treatment but also occupy beds for a bit longer).
You guys know I'm not a fan of all that media terrorizing and harsh restrictions, but when we're at a point when we can't at least give people a fighting chance in a hospital? Yeah, we'll need more distancing for a time.
Essay Pro