The National Council of Health Secretaries (Conass) recognized, this Wednesday (12), the establishment of a new wave of Covid-19 cases in Brazil with the advancement of the Ômicron variant.
In a letter sent to the Minister of Health, Marcelo Queiroga, Conass says it believes “that the growth in cases, driven by the new variant, again imposes challenges on the country’s public and private health systems. It is noteworthy that, even with the suspicion of lower severity, with high transmission, the chances of hospitalization increase, especially in the population without a complete vaccination schedule.”
According to data from the Conass Panel, 1,721 coronavirus infections were reported as of January 2. Last Sunday (9), the number jumped to 24,382 cases, representing an increase of more than 300%.
With this scenario, Conass asks the Ministry of Health to authorize the entire hospital network to be focused on treating cases of Covid-19; the contribution of resources for mass testing, considering the amount of R$ 4 for each test sent to states and municipalities.
The president of the council, Carlos Lula, signs the note that also requests the position of the Health Surveillance Secretariat on the cancellation of the street Carnival or other events in which there is no possibility of control with the vaccine passport or negative test; and monitoring a potential shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and intubation kits.
With a third of the population eligible for vaccination still without the complete scheme, the council says that the country is vulnerable to a large wave of cases that will impact the capacity of hospitals.
“As Omicron is more transmissible and responsible for the increase in patients with mild symptoms, outpatient services will be pressured by clinical conditions that require immediate testing, medical prescription and issuance of certificates for the proper isolation of positives. In countries where the new variant already has an impact on records of mild cases, the hospital network is also already pressured by severe cases, especially in unvaccinated patients, including children”, he exemplifies.
Forum
A CNN asked the ministry for a position on the Conass job and as soon as he receives a response he adds to the report.
Earlier, the Ministry of Health held a forum in which it brought together specialists and technicians from the ministry “to intensify monitoring and actions to combat the Ômicron variant in the country,” according to a note.
“Today, we live in a moment in which Brazil has shown its great capacity to promote mass immunization. We have more than 80% of our population over 12 years old with two doses of vaccines applied. In addition, we have already advanced in relation to the booster dose. We have already invested more than 15 million”, said Minister Queiroga at the event.
“Due to these public policies and the support of state and municipal health secretaries, we have experienced a significant drop in deaths and we will overcome the new challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic”, he added.
Reference: CNN Brasil
