With a concerning situation in Mato Grosso and Maranhão, the Infogripe bulletin from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) indicates that 18 states and the Federal District remain on alert, at risk, or at high risk for severe cases of respiratory syndromes, with 13 of these areas showing an upward trend in cases in the coming weeks.
Acre, Tocantins, Bahia, and Pernambuco, currently at risk according to recent records, are also expected to face a worsening scenario.
Despite the alert status, the national trend is one of long-term stability, and researchers are already observing a halt in growth and even declines in some areas in occurrences caused by influenza A and rhinovirus.
These two agents have been responsible for over 70% of cases that tested positive for a viral infection in recent weeks.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) occurs when individuals with flu-like symptoms such as fever, runny nose, and cough experience a worsening condition, leading to breathing difficulties and requiring hospitalization.
Typically, the trigger for the issue is a viral infection, though the causative agent is not always confirmed through tests.
Among the main infections causing SARS, three can be prevented by vaccines available through the SUS: Influenza A, Influenza B, and Covid-19.
The National Influenza Vaccination Campaign is underway across Brazil, prioritizing children aged 6 months to under 6 years, the elderly, and pregnant women, who are more susceptible to developing severe conditions.
The Covid-19 vaccine should be administered to all infants at 6 months of age, with periodic boosters recommended for the elderly, pregnant women, people with disabilities, comorbidities, or immunosuppression, and other vulnerable groups.
Last year, the Ministry of Health also began offering the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine to pregnant women to protect young infants, the primary targets of the virus that causes bronchiolitis.
Researcher Tatiana Portella from the InfoGripe Bulletin and the Scientific Computing Program at Fiocruz emphasizes that vaccination is the primary means of protection against severe cases and fatalities.
Therefore, she recommends that it is crucial for high-risk populations and highly exposed groups, such as healthcare professionals, to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
“We also recommend that people with flu or cold symptoms stay at home in isolation. If this is not possible, it is ideal to go out wearing a good mask,” highlights Tatiana Portella.
This year, 31,768 cases of SARS have been reported in Brazil, with about 13,000 testing positive for a respiratory virus: 42.9% rhinovirus, 24.5% influenza A, 15.3% respiratory syncytial virus, 11.1% Covid-19, and 1.5% influenza B.
The country has also recorded 1,621 deaths from SARS this year, 669 with positive test results. In these cases, Covid-19 is the major contributor, responsible for 33.5% of deaths, followed by 32.9% caused by influenza A, 22.7% by rhinovirus, 4.8% by respiratory syncytial virus, and 2.8% by influenza B.
Source: Agência Brasil.
Original published at O Cafezinho.