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RIO – A Covid-19 claimed more deaths in Brazil in 44 days than dengue, H1N1, measles, whip and zika added throughout this year. According to the latest Ministry of Health, published yesterday, 941 people have died since February 26 as a result of illness caused by the new coronavirus, which has already been compared to a “little squeeze” by President Jair Twitter.
In 2020, until March 28, dengue, endemic in Brazil, caused 148 deaths. In a similar period, H1N1, a virus that causes a type of flu, killed 13 people; measles, 4; chicungunha, 3; Zika, none (see table below).
For Guilherme Werneck, epidemiologist and professor at the Rio de Janeiro State University (Uerj), “the situation will worsen long before it improves,” due to the simultaneous outbreak.
– The peak in Covid-19 cases will occur when we have an increase in H1N1 cases, a disease for which we have a vaccine. Immunization, however, is not 100% effective. To make matters worse, we have an increase in dengue cases. It’s not an ICU-requiring illness, but there is a chance that large numbers of people will develop the severe form of the illness, says Werneck, pointing to the social isolation of those who can stay home as the only way to ease the burden of Health System. . – The most important thing now is that not everyone gets sick at the same time. We need to equip and assemble the structures to attend to all serious cases.
Dengue outbreak
According to the epidemiological bulletin of the Ministry of Health, this year, the total number of dengue cases in the country so far is 484,249, a number 15% higher than the same interval in 2019. The increase, although relatively low, is worrying when Consider that the growth curve of the virus has been increasing: in 2019, there were 1,544,987 cases of dengue in the country, 488% more than in 2018.
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The data prompted the warning among researchers and health officials, who are already facing the fight against Covid-19. A study signed by experts from Harvard University, in the USA. And by the national secretary of Health Surveillance at the Ministry of Health, Wanderson Oliveira, projects the lack of beds and equipment in the country in early April. In 2019, the peak of dengue and flu hospitalizations occurred between March and May.
Given this scenario, infectious disease specialist Edimilson Migowski, a professor at UFRJ, reinforces the importance of vaccination against influenza and the fight against outbreaks of the Aedes aegypti mosquito (dengue transmitter). He points out that there are no reports of cases of coinfection (contracting dengue and Covid-19 at the same time) and also explains that the need for beds for dengue is very different from the new epidemic:
– For dengue, isolation is not necessary, nor do professionals need personal protective equipment (PPE). Furthermore, it does not cause respiratory disease, the main aggravating factor in Covid-19, which requires ICU equipment and beds.
Last year:Covid-19 has killed in 43 days more than dengue, H1N1 and measles throughout 2019
The increase in the number of dengue cases in 2020 can be explained because, at the end of 2018, the virus serotype 2 returned to the circulation after ten years and has been finding populations susceptible to the disease.
Since February 14, Paraná has been on alert due to dengue. There are 87,900 cases, in addition to 69 confirmed deaths. According to the Department of Health, in 2019, in the fourth week of March, 2,023 confirmed cases of the disease, in comparison, a 4.245% explosion. There are 177 cities in Paraná in an epidemic situation, which represents almost half of the state’s municipalities. For this reason, the Secretary of Health of Paraná, Beto Preto, says that “we are attentive to the coronavirus, but we cannot forget dengue.”
RJ: increased measles
The Department of Health of the State of Rio de Janeiro prepared, at the end of last year, a contingency plan for a dengue epidemic type 2. The measures provided for an increase in the structure of services, the purchase of vehicles, equipment and supplies for surveillance in the municipalities. , awareness campaign on the risks of the disease, in addition to training health professionals. The plan, of course, is being adapted after Covid-19.
In the state, the increase in the number of measles cases is also cause for alarm. From January to March of this year, 501 cases were registered, while last year there were only two.
Measles is a disease for which there is immunization. However, despite the campaigns, the Rio State was unable to vaccinate the entire target audience. According to the Department of Health, about 1.4 million people have been immunized. The goal is 3 million.
