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The latest InfoGripe bulletin released by Fiocruz shows an increase in cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SRAG) due to Covid-19 in states in the South and Southeast regions, in addition to Bahia. In Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná and São Paulo there was an interruption in growth. The data are from the analysis referring to Epidemiological Week (SE) 45, from November 5th to 11th.
At the national level, the scenario is one of stability, due to the variation between states. Nine of the 27 federative units showed signs of growth in the last six weeks until the beginning of November: Alagoas, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Distrito Federal, Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina.
The state of Rio de Janeiro recorded an early interruption in the decline in cases associated with Covid-19, and Espírito Santo recorded an increase.
Fiocruz researcher and InfoGripe coordinator, Marcelo Gomes, comments on the incidence in recent weeks and says that what we see is a typical scenario of respiratory infection problems.
“It has a very significant incidence in both extremes of the age groups analyzed: young children and the elderly population. In children we have a series of viruses associated with these hospitalizations and in the elderly population this is mainly Sars-CoV-2 (Covid-19)”, he observes.
Care
For infectologist Joana D’arc Gonçalves, the intensity of the wave of positive cases of the disease depends on the behavior of the population. She warns that prevention measures must be maintained.
“The first of them is the vaccine. We know that only around 16.7% of the Brazilian population received the bivalent vaccine. Another issue is the use of a mask. So, assess your risk and use a mask in some environments: environments with little ventilation, environments where there are many people, such as public transport, hospitals, elevators”.
The Ministry of Health’s recommendation is that people with flu symptoms should avoid leaving home during periods when the disease is transmitted (up to 7 days after the onset of symptoms).
In 2023, 9,813 deaths from the disease were recorded in the country.
Edition: Zildenor Dourado
Zildenor Dourado has a degree in Journalism and Literature/Portuguese from the University of Brasília. He is a specialist in Legislative Communication, from Unilegis, of the Federal Senate. He worked as a reporter and editor for the newspapers Tribuna da Bahia, A Tarde and Jornal de Brasília. in addition to several union press vehicles. He worked as a publicist for the Legislative Chamber of the Federal District, where he was a reporter, editor and head of the Publicity and Press Relations Section.
