Half of Brazilian cities have a high incidence of covid-19; attendance continues to grow

Experts report increased transmission during the holiday season; see how to protect yourself

Almost half of Brazilian municipalities recorded a high incidence of COVID-19, according to an analysis published this Friday 23 by the Instituto Todos pela Saúde (ITpS) based on data from the Ministry of Health. According to the institute, 2,552 cities (out of a total of 5,297 that submitted data) had more than 100 cases of the disease per 100,000 inhabitants, which characterizes the high incidence. “47% of the Brazilian population lives in these municipalities and their residents are exposed to high levels of viral transmission”, highlighted Todos pela Saúde.

Another poll, this one done by Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) and released on Thursday 22, showed that there is a trend of increasing hospitalizations due to covid-19 in the country. According to experts, the two analyzes raise the alarm for an increase in transmission during the end-of-year holidays and a possible overload of health services in January.

The ITpS analysis shows that 21 of the 27 federation units have a high incidence – only São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, Amazonas, Maranhão and Piauí are outside this group. The highest rates were recorded in Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso and the Federal District, all with records of more than 300 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last week.

The institute also analyzes data from laboratory networks, which show that test positivity rates remain high, exceeding 30% since the beginning of November. For immunologist Jorge Kalil, director-president of ITpS, people should be careful during the end-of-year celebrations, although the current epidemiological scenario is less threatening than that of the first two years of the pandemic.

“The situation is not so comfortable. The disease is present and the virus continues to circulate. The big concern is for people who have not yet completed the four-dose vaccination schedule. They should get the vaccine as soon as possible. These are people which become more serious when infected”, says the expert.

Remember that, last year, the end of the year celebrations was the spread of the Ômicron variant in the country, causing millions of new cases. “As we have more people vaccinated and on booster doses, a new wave may not be as overwhelming, but covid-19 can still kill,” he says.

The institute’s analysis also shows that the BQ.1 substrain of the Ômicron variant is already predominant in the country. High viral transmission favors the emergence of new mutations and variants that may have greater vaccine escape, experts say.

admissions

The Fiocruz survey, which monitors hospitalizations for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) on a weekly basis, shows a growth in hospitalizations in the long-term trend (last six weeks) and stability in the short term (last three weeks). According to the researchers, “the slowdown in the national curve can be attributed to the recent decline in SARS cases in the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.”

Twenty of the 27 states of the federation show moderate growth of SARS in the long-term trend: all regions of the South and Midwest, the entire Northeast region, except Paraíba, plus Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Pará, Rondônia and Tocantin.

Among the capital cities, 14 of the 27 hospitalized in the same period: Aracaju, Belo Horizonte, Boa Vista, Brasilia, Curitiba, Goiânia, Maceió, Manaus, Natal, Porto Alegre, Porto Velho, Recife, São Luís and Teresina.

Tips to reduce the risk of contamination during the end of year holidays

– Complete the vaccination card against covid with the two regular doses and the booster doses indicated for your age group

– If you plan to gather your family for the holidays, choose a large, well-ventilated place. If the weather permits, celebrate outside, for example in the courtyard or on the terrace.

– If possible, avoid kissing and hugging many different people without a mask, especially if you are in the highest risk group, such as the elderly and people with comorbidities

– If you belong to the highest risk groups, consider wearing a mask during celebrations or maintaining physical distance from other participants while without the piece, for example when eating or drinking

– Isolate yourself and do not participate in celebrations if you have respiratory symptoms

– Do a self-test before the celebration, and if you test positive, stay home

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Source: Terra

Camila

Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.