In an interview with CNN this Sunday (12), infectologist and Fiocruz researcher Julio Croda said that Brazil is facing a new wave of Covid-19 cases, linked to the subvariant of Ômicron.
“We are experiencing a new wave that is very much associated with the subvariants of Ômicron BA.4 and BA., which are responsible for this increase in the number of cases”, he said.
The rise in the rate of infections took place in the epidemiological week that began on June 5 and ended on Saturday (11). According to data released by the National Council of Health Secretaries (Conass), in the period 292,068 new cases of Covid-19 in the country.
This was the week with the highest number of new infections by the coronavirus since the interval between March 6 and 12 – when 317,082 infections were counted.
However, the researcher believes that this increase in cases should not have an impact on the number of deaths.
“Overall, this new wave seems to have a smaller impact than Ômicron and Gamma, between March and April 2021. We are experiencing a moment of attention, but most likely this impact will be smaller in terms of hospitalization and deaths,” he said.
In the epidemiological week ended on Saturday, 1,077 deaths related to Covid-19 were recorded.
It is the highest number since the week between April 3 and 9, when the indicator stood at 1,112. The weekly peak of deaths occurred between April 4 and 10 last year, with 21,141 fatalities from the disease.
According to Croda, we are experiencing a seasonal period of respiratory viruses. “These viruses are related to a specific increase in this period, but we need to be aware of new variants, with greater escape of the immune response and with the loss of protection over time,” she said.
The researcher assesses that there is a significant public between 12 and 40 years without the complete vaccination schedule. “We have to understand that three doses of vaccine at the moment is the usual schedule, the recommended schedule. It is important for the population to update vaccines,” he said.
So far, according to a survey by the CNN Agency , less than 2% of the entire Brazilian population received the second booster dose (or fourth dose), which represents a little more than three million people. The 3rd booster was applied to 43% of the population.
*With information from Beatriz Puente and Nathalie Hanna Alpaca, from CNN
Source: CNN Brasil
