Currently, according to the town hall, a group of 80 people are sleeping at the airport seeking assistance. Activists suspect an outbreak
Two Afghans camped for about a month in Cumbica Airportin Guarulhos, in Greater São Paulo, tested positive for covid this Sunday 4. Volunteers working on the site suspect there may be an outbreak of the disease. Currently, according to the town hall, 80 refugees are sleeping at the airport seeking assistance.
The municipal management said the infected people were referred to the Cumbica First Aid Unit (UPA), where they remain isolated until they are released to be transferred to a shelter. The town hall also reiterated that it had called the national health surveillance agency (Anvisa) regarding the diagnoses, given that the international airport is a federal concession.
OR Afghanistan has been at war since late last year, when the armed group Taliban regained control of the country. Brazil then began offering a humanitarian visa to welcome refugees, sending those without resources to reception centers. Over time, however, the vacancies in these spaces became insufficient and Afghans began to flock to the airport, especially since August.
The two refugees diagnosed with covid, a 64-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man, were asymptomatic and were referred by volunteers to a health center only because there was a suspicion of other health problems. One of them had complications from diabetes and the other suspected kidney inflammation.
This Sunday, activists who have been working at the airport for a few months carried out a health action at the airport. About twenty volunteer health workers, including doctors and nurses, provided assistance at the site. Of the three refugees who were sent to a UPA, two tested positive even without showing flu symptoms.
“We were in a panic,” he said Stage the activist Swany Zenobini, one of the volunteers working at the airport through the Frente Afgã collective. The results came out late Sunday afternoon. “If out of three people who were tested, without even complaining, because they were asymptomatic, two were positive, imagine how many people must be covid in that airport”.
Swany said the group also informed the Guarulhos municipality on Sunday, which operates a service station at the airport. The municipal management has provided for the isolation of patients at the health center. Now, the goal of the Afghan Front collective, the volunteer continued, is to test other refugees before being sent to shelters.
The town hall informed, in a statement, that “it follows the guidelines of the government of São Paulo, which guides, according to a technical note, the test only in symptomatic people”. “Weekly, the Secretary of Health of Guarulhos carried out sanitary actions at the airport, such as vaccinations, medical visits, in addition to general health guidelines,” he informed.
The municipal management said it had already opened two shelters in the city: one in August, with 27 free places, and one in October, with another 20. to use this space to welcome those who tested positive yesterday,” he said. briefcase reiterated to deliver breakfast, lunch and dinner to those waiting for reception at the airport.
As shown the Stage in October, some of the refugees are sent to reception centres, but the group camped at the airport, whose composition is constantly changing, has grown above all since August🇧🇷 According to the volunteers, the number has grown with the increase in flights due to the World Cup and has been close to 300 in the last week. Now, according to the city of Guarulhos, there are about 80 of them.
What Anvisa and the government of São Paulo say
In a note, Anvisa reports that the situation of the Afghan refugees camped at Guarulhos airport is known to the agency, which has been monitoring the situation since the first groups began waiting for them to be returned to their destination locations.
“Observing the growth of the group and the length of stay, Anvisa officially informed, on 11 October, the Ministry of Health, of the health risks of this situation; and the National Committee for Refugees (Conare) of the Ministry of Justice , regarding the situation of a reception for the camped,” the organ said.
Anvisa has declared that it carries out Epidemiological Surveillance activities under the technical and regulatory guidance of the Ministry of Health. According to the agency, the ministry indicated the work of the Division of Food and Waterborne Diseases of the Center for Epidemiological Surveillance (CVE), of the State Department of Health in São Paulo, as the body that will offer vaccines, collect samples of cases suspicions and support in mitigating the risk of transmission of infectious diseases.
After the positive cases identified this Sunday, Anvisa then communicated to CVE/SP and strengthened the indication of the use of masks, making them available to the entire group of refugees. “If the new refugees show symptoms, testing in the health units of the municipality and isolation in a place outside the airport is indicated,” she pointed out.
The State Department of Health (SES) has confirmed that it has received notification, by Anvisa, of the two cases to the Epidemiological Surveillance Center (CVE). “The two patients are in isolation in a municipal unit and are being monitored by state and municipal surveillance,” the state government said. No other cases have been identified to date.
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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.
