High in positive cases may indicate a new wave of Covid-19, says infectious disease specialist

In an interview with CNN This Saturday (5), the infectious disease specialist at the Emílio Ribas Institute, Rosana Richtmann, said that it is possible to talk about a new wave of Covid-19 in the face of the increase in the number of cases, in Brazil and in the world.

“We see greater demand in the emergency room, in offices, in pharmacies… Everything suggests that we are having an impact on what is happening in the rest of the world. It is necessary to observe what will still happen, but the tendency is that we are facing, yes, a new case”, said the expert to CNN Saturday.

According to her, there are many factors that explain the growing curve of cases. With the advancement of vaccination, the virus “lost virulence”, although it continues to mutate. “This makes us have a lower perception of risk regarding the disease, which implies a lower demand for vaccines”, said Richtmann, who also pointed to adherence to booster doses as one of the reasons for the emergence of the “new wave” .

“More than seeing how many booster shots the person took, it is important to know how long ago they took. All vaccines, especially the ‘original’ vaccines that we all get, have a protection time limit. If you took the booster more than four months ago, surely the amount of protection is already much lower.”

The easing of containment measures, such as the non-compulsory use of masks in closed environments and on public transport, also enters into the account. Looking specifically at Brazil, the infectious disease specialist also attributes the increase in cases to the lower temperatures of recent days, which tend to favor the circulation of the virus, and to the agglomerations caused by the 2022 elections.

Check out the full interview in the video above.