Weak testing, data outage leave Brazil 'in the dark' as Omicron advances

A woman gets tested by a health worker for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Basic Health Unit in Sao Paulo, Brazil January 6, 2022. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Insufficient testing for COVID-19 and a data blackout caused by hackers have left Brazil in the dark as it grapples with a wave of infections from the Omicron coronavirus variant, health experts warn.

Brazilians with COVID-19 symptoms are facing long lines to get tested due to the lack of kits in a country without a comprehensive testing strategy since the start of the pandemic.