In an interview with CNN This Monday (17), the date on which Brazil completes one year of application of the first vaccine against Covid-19, infectious disease specialist and researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) Julio Croda spoke about the advancement of the Ômicron variant in the country.
For the specialist, the pandemic scenario caused by the variant of the new coronavirus can still worsen between the end of January and the beginning of February.
“We will live very complicated days and weeks, I believe that in the next few days we will reach the peak of the Ômicron variant, probably the end of January, the first week of February. Only from then on will we observe a drop in the number of cases, until then we can have an increase in those cities with low vaccine coverage”, said Croda.
The infectologist reiterated the importance of vaccination against Covid-19, for all age groups, and said that the booster dose “should be the number one priority in Brazil”.
“The number one priority in Brazil is the booster dose, and it is logical to immunize children. Any dose of vaccine protects, two even more, three doses have a very high protection for hospitalization and death”, he said.
According to the infectologist, the Ômicron variant, as it is more transmissible, can bring the risk of hospitalizations and unvaccinated deaths.
“Ômicron is more transmissible, in vaccinated people it does not cause severe disease, but in unvaccinated people it can cause hospitalization and death. The new variant will not cause the same number of deaths as the previous variant, but it may be associated with an increase in the number of hospitalizations and eventually may impact health services, it is no less serious,” said Croda.
High resolution images show the Ômicron variant:
Reference: CNN Brasil
