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*thread* Chatting with mothers of #disabled children with Congenital #ZikaVirus Syndrome in Bahia, Brazil about their quarantine experiences: an ongoing conversation.
Quarantine has meant hardship for many in Brazil, especially those most socially marginalized. 1/
Quarantine has meant hardship for many in Brazil, especially those most socially marginalized. 1/
For the ~11.4 million Brazilians living in favelas or periferias (low-income neighborhoods), difficulties obtaining food and basic necessities abound. This includes many of those now raising disabled children in the wake of the ZIKV epidemic. https://www.dailylocal.com/news/national/brazils-favelas-are-left-to-combat-covid-19-on-their-own/video_d0350394-40a5-51b9-aadc-acff46693abb.html 2/
The country's president is dragging his feet to implement nationwide quarantine measures, even though confirmed cases of #COVID19 are rising by the thousands every day & there have been going on 1,000 Covid-related deaths to date (via @Wikipedia). https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/brazil-s-doctors-fight-coronavirus-pandemic-while-they-struggle-bolsonaro-n1179461 3/
By not taking COVID-19 seriously, Bolsonaro exposes the vulnerable to potential infection. Luckily, many governors and mayors, incl. in Bahia, continue to implement measures backed by the @WHO: closing non-essential businesses, staying at home, physical distancing. 4/
One mother I ( @kelizaw) spoke with said that for her, quarantine is a "two-way street": there is of course the fear of contamination (kids with CZVS have multiple underlying conditions that make them esp. vulnerable to respiratory infections) and the tedium of staying at home. 5/
There is also the abrupt change in routine, which has disrupted parents' lives and also deeply affected their kids. Many, like this woman's son, are nonverbal but communicate their distress in other ways (like being irritable, crying & not sleeping for 36 hours straight!) 6/
Another challenge is therapy. Kids with CZVS usually have multiple appts per week: physical, occupational & speech therapy, neurologist visits, etc. Quarantine means none of these are happening. But some care providers give advice via WhatsApp, e.g. exercises parents can... 7/
...do with their kids at home to reduce the adverse effects of not having access to therapy for an extended amount of time. "Harm reduction" was how this mother referred to it. But quarantine doesn't mean *only* negative consequences. 8/
This mom also shared that she is enjoying the time she now has to spend with her son, to learn more about him, to play with him more, discover things the frantic "normal" routine hadn't allowed her to really notice. So this time has also been one of "lots of learning." 9/
This story is obviously still unfolding. I plan to keep in touch with these parents, finding out how they're dealing with the preventive measures being implemented and, as they permit, sharing their stories here and at http://www.AfterZika.org . 10/ *end thread*
