Covid: Fiocruz warns of increase in cases in the Center-South – 03/01/2024 – Health

Fiocruz’s InfoGripe Bulletin, released last Thursday (29), shows that cases of Srag (severe acute respiratory syndrome) associated with Covid continue to rise in eleven Brazilian states.

The increase is mainly seen in the Central-West, Southeast and South regions of the country.

According to the previously released bulletin, on February 22, there were seven states with a rise in Covid cases. The most recent analysis was based on the epidemiological week of February 18th to 24th.

The increase in Covid cases remained high in the states of Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina and São Paulo. Completing the list, the Federal District, Minas Gerais, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul also record growth.

Outside the central-south axis of the country, some states in the Northeast region also point to an increasing trend in Srag cases. There, however, the infectious agent responsible for the growth has not yet been identified, but in Bahia it is already possible to associate it with influenza A, the flu virus.

Scientific computing researcher at Fiocruz, Marcelo Gomes says that it is still too early to say that the flu virus is the cause of the increase in Srag cases in the Northeast. “It may be that, in the other states in the region, there is also an association with the Influenza A virus. The age groups that are being affected there do not look like that typical signature of Covid-19”, he explains.

The researcher also warns about the use of masks such as PFF2 in cases of symptoms or signs of respiratory infection.

Among the capitals, 17 show signs of increase: Aracaju (SE), Belém (PA), Boa Vista (RR), Campo Grande (MS), Cuiabá (MT), Curitiba (PR), Florianópolis (SC), Fortaleza (CE ), Goiânia (GO), João Pessoa (PB), Maceió (AL), Porto Velho (RO), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Salvador (BA), São Luís (MA), São Paulo (SP) and Vitória ( ES).