Covid-19 cases increase in Rio de Janeiro

The Rio de Janeiro State Health Department published a note last Wednesday warning the population about the new wave of Covid-19 cases, in the second week of August the percentage rose from 8% to 11%.

“The Covid-19 vaccine is available at health centers and is essential to prevent the disease from getting worse. If you have symptoms such as fever, cough or difficulty breathing, seek medical attention..” – declared Claudia Mello, health secretary.

The UPAs went from an average of 356 daily appointments to 847, vaccination and basic hygiene, such as washing hands regularly and wearing masks in closed spaces, continue to be effective ways of protecting against the disease.

Reason for increase

The combination of winter and the end of school holidays means families are traveling and spending time with people from outside their homes. This increases the chances of contracting the flu or even other respiratory diseases, such as Covid-19, which is once again affecting the lives of Brazilians.

“An increase in cases of any respiratory disease, including Covid, in winter, even towards the end of the season, is not surprising. In winter, people gather more because of the cold, people have more contact with children who are on vacation, and people travel more, even if only for short distances.'' – Celso Ramos Filho, infectious disease specialist at UFRJ.

Experts recommend isolation in cases of flu-like symptoms, until the possibility of testing positive for the coronavirus is confirmed, and also the use of masks and washing hands whenever possible.

Remember the pandemic

The coronavirus appeared at the end of 2019, but until then it was not an emergency for the WHO. It was at the beginning of 2020 that cases began to appear and increase dramatically in Europe, worrying the Brazilian government that would soon face Carnival celebrations across the country.

As expected, the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in Brazil after Carnival. From February 2020 to the second half of 2021, Brazil and much of the world lived in an endless quarantine. Disney closed its parks, soccer championships were paused, and the number of deaths in Brazil reached 4,000 per day.

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_{The sick world (Reproduction/GettyImages)}

After the arrival of vaccines, cases began to decrease, but the scars that this disease left will never be forgotten. The WHO declared that 15 million people lost their lives to the disease, 713 thousand of them in Brazil.

Featured Photo: Patient getting vaccinated (Reproduction/JoséCruz/AgênciaBrasil)