Hospitalizations for gripe in São Paulo surpassed the cases of Covid-19 in the month of December. And to separate the patients, the capital of São Paulo made available 150 thousand tests for Influenza A and B.
In an interview with CNN, Luiz Arthur Vieira, director of the Health Surveillance Coordination, said that “it is important that the person with respiratory symptoms, even if it is mild, look for the health service because we are still in a pandemic, with a much more dangerous disease that is still between us, which is the Covid-19.”
According to Vieira, the tests are important to try to “understand and understand what is actually happening in this transmission of respiratory viruses.”
According to him, there is “various evidence that most of these respiratory infections, which have manifested themselves in a mild way, but in large quantities, could be Influenza.”
Still, he said there was no opportunity to compute this [casos de gripe] specifically at the city’s service gates.
He highlights that the tests, which were previously available only in the private network, are available in the Unified Health System (SUS).
“The main difference is that, in about 15 minutes, the person who has their respiratory symptoms, there with the flu syndrome, will know if they have Influenza or not.”
Vieira explains that this is extremely important, since the care directed at people diagnosed should start immediately, and specifically.
“It has its own medication that must be started as soon as possible.”
The director of the Health Surveillance Coordination said that this testing is taking place in all 469 basic health units (UBSs) in an unscheduled way.
However, Vieira points out that “the person doesn’t arrive and just test. She undergoes a medical consultation and one of the exams that the doctor orders, according to the signs and symptoms presented, is the quick test.”
He advises people with symptoms to seek a health facility.
In addition, it is important to emphasize that to minimize the effects of the flu, the city of São Paulo is offering vaccine of flu for all age groups.
Reference: CNN Brasil
