A sign may indicate a new slowdown in the disease, but the date of notification of cases does not always coincide with the day of onset; most states stopped updating data on weekends
This Sunday, the 12th, Brazil had the first day with zero deaths COVID-19 notified since the beginning of the pandemic, according to data collected by the National Council of Health Secretariats (Conass). The mark may represent a new deceleration of the disease, but does not necessarily mean no fatalities that day. This occurs because the record date doesn’t always coincide with the day of the event, and most states (15, including São Paulo and Minas, the two largest) have not updated their data on weekends, which is been made in the most critical countries of the health crisis.
The moving average of deaths reached 45 on Sunday, the lowest level since November last year. The disease increased slightly between December and January, when the index soared to a record 150, but has slowed further this month. The moving average of the infected is at 9,100, less than a third of the rate presented in the first few days of the year. Experts, however, point to a high rate of underreporting, since most people fail to get tested when symptoms are mild.
Again according to the doctors, vaccination (including booster doses) is the best way to prevent the disease from getting worse, especially among the most vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, immunocompromised patients and pregnant women. Immunization in Brazil with Pfizer’s bivalent vaccines, which protect against the Ômicron variant, begins on the 27th.
According to Conass, the consolidated number of deaths reported by the State Health Secretariats totaled zero deaths for the first time since the first days of the pandemic, in March 2020 “. They can be confirmed in the coming days or even weeks.
“The data on deaths released refers to deaths reported after investigations and laboratory tests have been confirmed, which generates a lag between the occurrence of the death and its reporting,” the council says. In recent years, Brazil has had to deal with some episodes of data retention due to deficiencies in the systems of the Ministry of Health, which have created distortions with respect to the real trend of the pandemic in the country.
After the repercussion of this Sunday’s data on social networks, Conass also says that it is important to consider that most states do not disclose data on cases and deaths on weekends and public holidays, but on Mondays. The measure, according to the body, does not affect the epidemiological monitoring of the disease in the country: the recommended way to monitor the statistics is the moving average.
In all, according to the council, 15 federal units have adopted the practice of not calculating data outside working days as covid slows down: Bahia, Ceará, Federal District, Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Roraima, São Paulo and Tocantins.
Cases continue to slow in most states
According to a bulletin from the Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) Foundation released last week, most states continue with a decline or stabilization of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) cases. Of the 27 federal units, only Acre, Amazonas, Espírito Santo and Pernambuco show growth in the long-term trend.
The document indicates that, in the last period, the prevalence among cases tested positive for respiratory viruses was 1.3% for influenza A; 1.1% for influenza B; 24.8% for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV); and 61.7% for Sars-CoV-2. Among the deaths, the presence of these same viruses among the positives was 2% for influenza A; 0.5% for influenza B; 5% for VSR; and 91% for Sars-CoV-2.
According to Conass data, the country has recorded 697,974 deaths from covid since the beginning of the pandemic. The total number of positive diagnoses for the disease is 36.9 million.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
