In an interview with CNN This Sunday (6), the infectologist, professor at UFMS and researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Julio Croda, spoke about the impacts of Covid-19 on our society compared to European countries. For the specialist, in Europe the effects of the Ômicron variant were less severe when it comes to hospitalizations and deaths; he attributes this result to the great adherence of the population to the second and third doses of the vaccine against Covid-19.
For Croda, in the coming weeks Brazil may see a decline in infections by the Ômicron variant, but the vaccination coverage of Brazilians makes the recovery less agile than in Europe.
“Europe is in a different situation, it has already had the peak of Ômicron, they have high coverage of the second dose and booster dose, unlike Brazil. They had little impact on hospitalization and deaths precisely because they have coverage of the third dose. This differs from the USA, which has low coverage of second and third doses. The profile of Brazil is between Europe and the USA”, compares the infectologist.
“For sure at some point we will have a drop in the number of cases, and a drop in the number of hospitalizations. But the impact of Covid on our society will most likely be greater than in Europe, mainly because of our vaccine coverage for the second dose, but mainly for the third dose”, added Croda.
back to school
THE CNN, infectious disease specialist Julio Croda spoke about the importance of children returning to classrooms, noting that Brazil was one of the most affected countries in the world in education because of the pandemic.
“We have to separate a lot the issue of vaccination and the resumption of school activities; school is an essential activity, Brazilian students were the most penalized in the world in relation to the pandemic. It makes no sense to link the resumption of school activities to vaccination coverage in this age group, because we have already returned to all activities, so it makes no sense in an essential activity for us to impose vaccination coverage”, said the infectious disease specialist.
third dose
The infectologist and researcher Fiocruz reiterated the importance of the booster dose, especially in the age group above 50 years of age.
“The priorities are to complete the initial vaccination schedule – the two doses – and then the booster dose. It is essential, we know that the elderly were the first to take the doses, and the first to take the 3rd dose; it is necessary that the population over 50 years, mainly, it is necessary that they take the third dose and complete their vaccination schedule”, he said.
Regarding the application of the fourth dose – a possibility that has been discussed by the government of the state of São Paulo – the infectologist said that the main thing now is to focus on people without vaccination, then on those without a booster dose, and the fourth dose would be offered, initially, for people over 60 years old.
“Because eventually it has been a long time since the booster dose and this group has a greater chance of hospitalization and death”, added the researcher.
Source: CNN Brasil
