The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, announced, this Monday (13), that the first death of a patient infected with the Ômicron variant of the coronavirus has been confirmed.
The patient’s profile – such as age and information about whether he had been vaccinated against Covid-19 – was not released by the British government.
In an interview with CNN, the president of the Brazilian Society of Virology (SBV), Flávio Fonseca, stated that it is “a matter of time” until the new variant of the coronavirus establishes community transmission in Brazil as well.
However, he points out that “there is no secret” to establishing an effective fight against Ômicron transmission. “We have to reinforce the effective actions that are already known”, he said.
Flávio Fonseca highlighted what he calls the “four pillars of the fight against the pandemic”. “The central pillar is effective vaccination. Brazil has very good numbers, but progress is needed. Even in pockets where there are still no adequate percentages of vaccination”, he declared.
The researcher pointed out the need to focus on vaccination policies with an emphasis on booster doses. He cites research already carried out abroad, such as by Pfizer, for example, which indicate a relevant role for booster doses in guaranteeing immunological protection against Ômicron.
The other pillars highlighted by the president of the SBV are the so-called “non-pharmacological actions”. “Social distancing, the use of protective masks and, if possible, avoiding agglomerations”, he listed.
Reference: CNN Brasil
