Fiocruz warns of an increase in respiratory viruses in children

The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) warned, this Thursday (12), that the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) predominates among cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARI) in children in Brazil.

According to the new edition of the InfoGripe bulletin, the virus was responsible for 59% of SARS cases with laboratory diagnosis among children aged 0 to 4 years in the last four epidemiological weeks, which comprises the period from December 11 to January 7.

According to Fiocruz, the index stands out especially in São Paulo, the Federal District and in the three states of the southern region. In addition, the marked presence of this virus is also observed in the group of 0 to 4 years old in Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais and Roraima. The survey refers to epidemiological week 1 of 2023, which covers the period from January 1 to 7.

In other age groups, Covid-19 continues to prevail among cases of severe respiratory syndrome. Researcher Marcelo Gomes reinforces the importance of keeping vaccination up to date.

“The approved vaccines are not only safe, but also significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization. Taking all the recommended doses is our best tool”, points out the InfoGripe coordinator.

So far, only about 39% of children aged 3 to 11 have completed the vaccination schedule against the disease in the country, according to Fiocruz. The researcher emphasizes the relevance of vaccination against Covid-19 for this public, with the aim of reducing the risk of serious illness.

A survey published in the journal Nature Medicine pointed out that, in 2022, the hesitation of parents and guardians regarding childhood vaccination against Covid-19 increased by 56.3% in Brazil.

“It is noteworthy that, unfortunately, currently a significant percentage of the population has been in doubt whether or not it is worth vaccinating, especially children and adolescents”, he pointed out.

In the first two years of the pandemic, according to a study by Fiocruz, the disease was responsible for the death of two children up to 5 years old per day in Brazil.

“Covid-19 continues to be the main reason for hospitalization due to respiratory problems in the adolescent and adult population of our country. That’s what the notification data has shown us. Given this scenario, it is essential that the population is up to date with vaccination against Covid-19. The vaccine is our main mechanism to protect our health and our lives against Covid-19”, said the researcher.

In the last four epidemiological weeks, the prevalence among cases with a positive result for respiratory viruses was 1% for influenza A; 0.2% for influenza B; 12.6% for RSV; and 77.8% for coronavirus. Among the deaths, the presence of these same viruses among the positives was 0.3% for influenza A; 0.0% for influenza B; 0.8% for RSV; and 96.6% for the Covid-19 virus.