Recommendations for prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment during COVID-19 outbreak were not followed in Brazil

Abstract

In Brazil, the COVID-19 outbreak has spawned two intertwined massive waves of hospital admissions, which have exposed the long-acquainted public health care shortcomings in our country. Before the end of October 2021, Brazil had reached 21.680.488 confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome cases due to coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2), accounting for over 604.000 deaths, ranking Brazil the second in number of fatalities worldwide, only behind the United States with over 732.000 reported deaths. This significant overload in hospital admissions and intensive care unit need has resulted in incredible stress to hospitals across the country and compounded deep underlying problems in the Brazilian public health system. In this complex scenario, the health care structure should be prepared to respond to the SARS-Cov-2 increase of cases and other usual emergencies and other chronic conditions that require adequate diagnosis, workup, and treatment