Anuario Brasileiro do Cobre | Brazilian Copper Yearbook 2020

Anuário Brasileiro do Cobre Brazilian Copper Yearbook 2020 5 Leading in pandemic times T he world started a new decade with an environment of uncertainty. The Sars-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has set a major challenge for global economies: living with a crisis unprecedented in recent history. This scenario created an urgent need for industries to readjust a planning that was already underway. In view of the unexpected scenario, seeking a balance between economic activity and the health crisis, in addition to containing the side effects of the pandemic in the society, has become a determining factor in the business environment. At this rate, it was necessary to establish new rules in the work environment: preserve, even more rigorously, the health of employees; maintain direct and assertive communication, review investments with adjustments to budgets, support the supply chain and accelerate the risk mitigation plan. As in all segments, the copper chain also felt the impacts of the pandemic. Countries such as Chile, the largest producer of metal on the planet, initially had a retraction in their extractive activities, with the suspension of non- essential jobs and a reduction in workers in operations. Even so, Chilean copper mines managed to maintain production during the peak of the pandemic. After the first wave of this crisis, the global economies begin to react. China is accelerating exports and imports of products and demand for copper has been increasing. The forecast points to a rapid recovery in the Asian country, which is expected to register growth in the next 6 to 12 months. Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry of major powers such as the USA, Germany, China and other European countries, is accelerating to manufacture a vaccine capable of containing the advance of COVID-19. It is in such a competitive scenario that copper appears as an adjuvant to mitigate the effects of the new Coronavirus. Copper is naturally bactericidal, that is, it is able to eliminate microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria. More than five thousand years ago, people benefited from the antimicrobial action of this noble metal to cure diseases. And now this property is being explored on a large scale. Researchers and scientists from renowned universities in South America, Europe and the United States are advancing studies that prove the effectiveness of antimicrobial copper in combating, even, the new Coronavirus. According to a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, and written by scientists at Princeton University, the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and other research centers, the Sars-CoV-2 virus remained active for three days on plastic and stainless steel surfaces. However, when in contact with copper surfaces, the active particles of Sars-CoV-2 were eliminated in four hours. Research shows that Coronavirus remains even shorter on copper-coated surfaces. Following the example of countries like the USA and Chile that already use antimicrobial copper on a large scale in public and private spaces, Brazil accelerates the expansion of the use of copper due to its properties; there are already bills in progress in the Legislative of states such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and which determine the use of mandatory coating on utensils and equipment with Antimicrobial Copper - Cam, in all public and private hospitals, as well as in the emergency units. The approval of these projects is extremely important to ensure safer conditions in healthcare. In other words, the population will benefit from environments free of lethal bacteria, such as, for example, the MRSA “superbug” - Staphylococcus aureus, resistant to several common antibiotics and even the new Coronavirus. While the world seeks to regain the balance between sanitary measures and the maintenance of economic activity, in order to avoid an aggressive recession, the copper industry worldwide goes the extra mile to maintain its operations, with work and innovation, generating revenue, preservation of thousands of jobs and with initiatives aimed at the sustainability and quality of life of the populations. A good example are projects aimed at electromobility that guarantee energy efficiency for vehicles while promoting effective solutions for the environment. Themoment calls for reflection,protagonism, responsible action and, in a special way, sectorial union. This must be the recipe for us to overcome this period of health crisis that has had profound repercussions in the economic, political and social spheres. With the hope of resuming growth and competitiveness, we go ahead with the firm purpose of having in the Brazilian Copper Association the strong link of an active and necessary industry for the strengthening of our country. That’s how we should act.