Brazil’s strongman leader and a deadly COVID-19 variant are a ‘perfect storm’ for the world’s coronavirus epicentre

Even with the coronavirus surging across Brazil, Fabricio Silva Costa never thought he would get COVID-19.

“Never, never, never,” he said.

“I always considered myself very strong.”

Since the start of the pandemic, 13 million people in Brazil have contracted the coronavirus, but the 44-year-old insurance broker thought he was doing everything right.

“I do jiujitsu, but I took all the precautions,” he tells the ABC from his hospital bed.

“I stopped training to avoid contact, I worked…