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The increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in Portugal may be a “reflection of Christmas”
Experts say that the lifting of restrictions on Christmas week may be related to the increase in new patients.
It could be Christmas.
Christmas may be behind the fact that, in the last three days, the number of new cases of covid-19 in our country has skyrocketed. After more than six thousand cases were registered on December 30 and the last day of the year marked the record of new cases – with 7,627 new infections in 24 hours – the figures for this Friday, January 1 are no better: 6,951 more cases .
In an analysis of these figures for “Lusa”, epidemiologist Filipe Froes says that this growth may “be a reflection of the Christmas season”. This was a time when, says the expert, “many people have devalued prevention and control measures, such as wearing masks and avoiding meetings.”
“Christmas was a week ago and there may still be an increase in numbers in the coming days and the infections that may have occurred at Christmas, some mild or asymptomatic, may give rise to chains of transmission in the following days,” warns Filipe Froes.
In the same vein – also in statements to “Lusa” – the virologist Pedro Simas says he has doubts that the high figures recorded in recent days are a consequence of the decrease in the number of tests carried out on holidays. “This increase that is occurring may be due to the lack of evidence at Christmas time, which I doubt. If it does not have this effect it is due to the greater number of contacts, they are the two possible explanations. The fact that it is so big may be due to the highlands ”, he defends.
The virologist explained to “Lusa” that, currently, Portugal has a “plateau in the daily average of 3,200 cases” which, in his opinion, “is very high, it is 10 times greater than the summer plateau, that is, it never existed such a risk of transmission ”of the virus.
Taking these figures into account, the two specialists assumed, in statements to “Lusa”, that “the first days of January will present a high number of new cases.” Filipe Froes even predicts an average of more than 8,000 cases a day.
