Experts predict that in two to three weeks the new wave of covid will reach the interior of the state
SOROCABA – The increase in hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in the capital and in Greater São Paulo it alerts the hospital network of the interior of São Paulo. Although the most severe cases of the disease are still occasional, cities such as Ribeirao Preto🇧🇷 Sorocaba And Araraquara Record growth of cases and positive tests for covid. Experts predict that in two to three weeks the new wave of covid will reach the interior and hospitals will have to be prepared to receive more patients. Health officials are concerned about people with delayed vaccine doses and the risk of further spread this holiday season.
In Greater São Paulo, the number of hospitalizations for covid-19 in Intensive Care Units (ICU) has grown by 65.1% in the last two weeks, according to data from the State Health Secretariat. The number went from 215 hospitalized on Oct. 25 to 335 on Oct. 8. In the wards, the number of inpatients grew by 81.3%, from 364 to 660 in the same period. You Private hospitals are also reporting an increase in hospitalizations in the capital🇧🇷
In Ribeirão Preto, inland, only the cases registered in the first week of November have already exceeded half of the registrations for the entire month of October. According to the epidemiological bulletin of the municipal health record, up to November 8 there were 72 positive cases, eight times more than the previous week and 54% of the total in October (131 cases).
There was, however, no record of covid-related deaths in November, as of this Thursday 10, nor a significant increase in hospitalizations. There were six deaths in October. “The moment is for surveillance, monitoring and follow-up of the number of patients treated throughout the municipality, not only in our services, but in all those that generate notifications,” said the director of Health Surveillance, Luzia Márcia Romanholi Passos.
In Sorocaba, three new deaths from covid-19 were recorded in a bulletin released this Thursday. Two deaths occurred this week: the victims were a 55-year-old man and an 86-year-old man. In October, the city went 24 days without recording any deaths from the disease. There have also been 35 positive cases of covid-19. The previous bulletin recorded 22 new cases. The town hall informed that there were no reflections in the occupation of the hospital.
The lack of additional doses worries
The high number of people with late additional doses worries the municipality of Piracicaba. There are almost 190,000 people, the majority – 92,000 – who should have taken it and have not yet taken the third dose. This Friday, the 11th, the Department of Health announced the opening of programming vacancies in an effort to encourage vaccine research.
According to Undersecretary Augusto Muzilli Junior, although the hospitalization indicator is stable in the city, with less than 10% of vacant posts in the intensive care unit and ward, the proximity of the end-of-year holidays leaves Healthcare on alert with the possibility of an increase of cases. “To ensure these moments happen in a safe and healthy way, people need to be vaccinated and follow covid-19 prevention guidelines,” he said.
In Araraquara, the Municipal Health Department will start genetic sequencing of confirmed cases in the coming days, in collaboration with Unesp, to identify whether the new BQ.1 strain or other variants are already circulating in the city. In the period from November 4 to 10, the city recorded 97 positive cases of the disease, more than triple the 27 cases of the previous week. Positivity for samples overall increased from 3.9% to 8.4%. Among symptomatic people, the covid-19 positivity rate rose from 6.6% to 18%.
The bulletin released last Friday records two patients admitted to the ward. In the previous one, only one patient was hospitalized. “Regarding admissions to hospital services that provide covid-19 beds, public and private, the city has a 5% occupancy rate of ward beds, but has no occupied ICU places,” it reads. in the folder. The covid committee reported that it is “closely following the evolution of the new BQ.1 strain” and recalled that, despite the non-mandatory use of masks, the recommendation for this protection is maintained, mainly in public transport and health units .
According to epidemiologist Carlos Magno Fortaleza, of the Faculty of Medicine of Unesp de Botucatu, the interior of the state will not escape the increase in hospitalizations due to covid-19 that is already taking place in Greater São Paulo. “We already have a small increase in the number of cases, but the records have not increased that much, perhaps because many people could self-test and not report to public health. But, due to the already known dynamics of the disease, it should happen in the next few days “, he said.
For the infectious disease specialist Raquel Stucchi, professor at Unicamp, due to everything that has happened during the pandemic, it is already known that the increase in hospitalizations in the interior usually takes place two or three weeks after the increase in the capital and in the Great Sao Paulo. “The interior must be prepared for an increase in cases requiring hospitalization. It will not be such an expressive increase as at the beginning of the pandemic, but people who have an incomplete vaccination, i.e. less than four doses for people over the age of 18-year-olds, i.e. children not yet vaccinated, as well as the elderly and the immunosuppressed, are part of the population who may have more severe disease and require hospitalization,” he said.
This population, according to the expert, should be more careful, avoid risky contacts due to covid, wear a mask whenever there is a crowd, even in an open environment. “In a closed environment, at least for this population, the use of a surgical mask or PFF2 should be mandatory. It is a moment of concern and we must be attentive. It is important to update the vaccination, since there are vaccines available in the basic network” .
In the case of the hospital network, he believes it is important that hospitals have an emergency plan ready to apply, in case the number of patients with covid increases, so that they can expand the number of hospitalization and intensive care places. “Expanding beds also means having enough human resources, from the medical team, from nursing, from all cleaning support to adequately serve these patients, should there be a need for more hospitalizations,” she noted.
more money
The government of São Paulo announced this Friday an investment of R$93 million to help municipalities expand immunization of diseases that can be prevented by vaccines, such as covid-19, measles and polio. The resources will also be used to control dengue, zika and chikungunya, mosquito-borne diseases. aedes aegypti🇧🇷 The funds will be distributed proportionally among the 645 municipalities of São Paulo.
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Source: Terra
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