João Gabbardo, executive coordinator of the Scientific Committee of the State of São Paulo, told CNN This Friday (28) that the peak of hospitalizations for Covid-19 caused by the current wave of the Ômicron variant should be reached in three weeks, with a consequent drop in the occupancy of beds and a possible “calmer situation” in March.
“We work with the expectation that for two weeks we will greatly increase the number of cases. Our peak in admissions and use of ICU beds should occur in three weeks and by February 20th we will start reducing bed occupancy,” said Gabbardo.
The coordinator also pointed out that the observed profile of hospitalizations differs from that recurring at the peak of the pandemic, when about 15,000 infirmary and ICU beds were enabled to deal with the high demand in São Paulo.
The current 5,000 existing beds are also used by people who are hospitalized for other reasons, but, because Ômicron is very contagious, they test positive for Covid-19, he explains. “The person has Covid but is not in the hospital because of Covid,” he said.
Despite the expected rise in hospitalizations in the coming weeks, Gabbardo says that ideas of carrying out a lockdown are not under discussion at the moment. The expectation is to enable another thousand or 2 thousand beds in order to serve patients. “We don’t have any risk of lack of care and lack of assistance”, he pointed out.
For the coordinator of the state Committee, Covid-19 is expected to become a disease whose vaccination is annual, and, as new variants emerge, vaccines on the market are updated to contain the most harmful advance of infections.
“Each year, we will have new variants of the virus. It is very likely that people will have to take the Covid vaccine once a year, and it may only be necessary in the highest risk groups”, he evaluated.
“The [Instituto] Butatan is studying the possibility of including the Covid virus that has been circulating with greater intensity in the Influenza vaccine, ensuring that people are protected with a single vaccine,” said Gabbardo.
Reference: CNN Brasil
