The rise in cases of flu syndromes in recent days has led to the removal of thousands of health professionals infected by covid-19 or influenza in various regions of the country from their duties. Consequently, the teams on the front line are overloaded. In view of the situation, the Minister of Health, Marcelo Queiroga, said that the government is studying the possibility of reducing the quarantine for health professionals with a positive test for covid-19, which would make it possible for them to work even if they are contaminated. Health entities assess the proposal with concern.
In São Paulo, the city hall had 1,585 professionals on leave due to covid-19 or flu syndrome on Thursday. The municipal network currently has 94,526 professionals. The Health Department highlights that, since December 1, there has been an increase in the number of absences. The State Health Department reports that it has 1,754 professionals on leave due to suspicion or confirmation of covid-19 and other severe acute respiratory syndromes (Srag), until Thursday.
In Rio, since the beginning of December, around 20% of professionals working in the capital’s municipal health network have had to periodically leave their duties because of covid-19 or suspected of having the disease or influenza. There were about 5,500 professionals on leave, out of a total of just under 28,000, according to the municipal health department.
Among the professionals on leave are doctors, nurses, nursing technicians, pharmacists, stretcher workers and receptionists. To deal with the overload, the city focuses on new hires. “We have already called 146 professionals in the first weeks of January. Next week there will be 400 more professionals. In the month of December, 1,200 had already entered”, says Health Secretary Daniel Soranz.
Rio already adopted
In Rio, the reduced five-day quarantine is already a reality. The secretariat took the measure due to the increase in cases of covid, mainly of the Ômicron variant. “We work with a period of five days for asymptomatic patients. And they only return to work after testing. And, for the symptomatic, we work with an interval of seven days. If the symptoms are more severe, we determine a longer distance. And you need a negative test,” says Soranz.
In Belo Horizonte, 487 professionals from UPAs, Health Centers and Samu were away in December due to respiratory symptoms. Extra shifts are offered to those who continue to work.
Queiroga said that the possibility of reducing the quarantine for health professionals is still being discussed with secretaries, but he has already advanced that Brazil “possibly” can adopt the conduct, establishing a five-day quarantine for professionals who are asymptomatic. Currently, the recommendation of the folder for those who have been infected, with or without symptoms, is to stay in isolation for two weeks.
The Federal Nursing Council (Cofen) considers the ministry’s proposal worrying. “Nursing professionals work directly in assisting the population, including the sick, immunosuppressed and convalescent, among other highly vulnerable groups. Reducing the absence to just five days would imply a risk of transmission to the assisted population”, he said, in a note.
Risky
César Eduardo Fernandes, president of the Brazilian Medical Association (AMB), considers it risky. “Firstly, we must consider that the initially stipulated quarantine period of 14 days seems too high for the knowledge we now have of the disease. The recommended would be at least seven days and up to a maximum of ten days. That would be appropriate. Below seven days it would not be recommended to bring the health professional. Except in extremely exceptional conditions as some countries are facing,” he said.
The information is from the newspaper. The State of São Paulo.
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