08/31/2023 – 21:44
Brazil confirmed on Wednesday, 30, two more cases of the EG.5 variant of covid-19, a subvariant of Ômicron, popularly known as Éris, in Rio de Janeiro and in the Federal District. In Rio, the patient has no travel history, which indicates that there is local transmission of this type of lineage. In the Federal District, a child under 2 years old received confirmation. She was hospitalized, but has already been discharged.
Currently, this is the most common type worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has already registered infections by this new strain in more than 50 countries. The first case of the new variant of covid-19 in Brazil was confirmed on the night of August 17 in São Paulo.
Rio de Janeiro points to local transmission of the Éris variant
On Wednesday, the Municipal Health Secretariat (SMS) of Rio de Janeiro confirmed the first case of the Ômicron subvariant in the city, attested by the genetic sequencing laboratory of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). This is a 46-year-old male patient who had mild symptoms, was isolated at home and no longer has the symptoms.
“He has no travel history, which indicates that there is local transmission of this lineage”, says the Rio secretariat.
Also according to the folder, the patient had not taken the booster dose of the bivalent against covid-19, which reinforces the secretary’s recommendation that all people over 12 years old carry out the immunization, which maintains protection against serious cases. of the disease.
“It is important to highlight that the city of Rio achieved high vaccination coverage, reaching 98% in the initial schedule (first and second dose). However, protection decreases over time, which makes it essential to take a booster dose”, warns the secretary.
In Rio, vaccines are available in the 238 Primary Care units (family clinics and municipal health centers). In addition to the Super Centro Carioca de Vacinação, in Botafogo, which is open every day, from Sunday to Sunday, from 8am to 10pm, and at extra posts throughout the city.
In the Federal District, a child under 2 years old received a diagnosis
The Federal District also detected for the first time the presence of the new subvariant of Ômicron. The patient is a baby younger than 2 years old who was treated at the Hospital Materno Infantil de Brasília (HMIB) on August 11th. With respiratory symptoms, the child was hospitalized, treated and discharged on the 14th.
“In all, the Department of Health analyzed 30 test samples from different administrative regions, however, only the case of the baby attended at the HMIB was positive for the new subvariant”, said the folder, in a note.
For the Undersecretary of Health Surveillance of the Federal District, Divino Valero Martins, there is no reason for the population to worry at the moment. “We are attentive to issues of Omicron variants. This action demonstrates the effectiveness of the DF health network by detecting, almost in real time, a subvariant through sentinel units and Lacen (Central Public Health Laboratory of the Federal District)”, he said.
Although it is highly contagious, the mutation did not show signs of great risk for most of the population, according to Martins.
So far, reports are of symptoms very similar to those caused by the original Omicron:
Fever
Headache
Body ache
Sore throat
Running nose
Confirmation of the first case in Brazil
The first case of the new variant of covid-19 in Brazil was confirmed on the night of August 17, in São Paulo. A 71-year-old female patient, residing in the south zone of São Paulo, received the diagnosis.
The first symptoms of fever, cough, fatigue and headache began on July 30th, and she had the collection for laboratory examination on August 8th. The woman was admitted to a private hospital on August 3, but was discharged the next day. At the time, the patient had the complete monovalent covid-19 vaccine schedule and had not yet been vaccinated with the bivalent booster dose.
importance of vaccination
Still according to the Ministry of Health, to avoid serious cases, vaccination is the main protective measure. “The recommendation of vaccination as the main measure to combat covid-19 is becoming increasingly important, with the updating of booster doses to prevent the disease,” he said in a statement.
Since the end of the emergency, decreed by the WHO in May of this year, the recommendation still remains for groups at greater risk of aggravation from the disease to continue to follow non-pharmacological prevention and control measures, including the use of masks in closed places. , poorly ventilated or crowded areas, in addition to the isolation of patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Still according to the ministry, the recommendation also applies to people with flu symptoms.
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