Covid cases triple in Serrana (SP) with a return to normality

The city chosen to host the unprecedented mass vaccination project of the Butantan Institute, Serrana, in the metropolitan region of Ribeirão Preto, in the interior of São Paulo, saw the total number of Covid-19 cases triple in October and present a worrying high in November. Deaths from complications of the disease, however, are stable.

The return to normality is the main reason indicated by the city for the increase in cases of the new coronavirus in the city, which plans to vaccinate the entire population over 18 years old with a booster dose within three weeks.

The project called S of Butantan consists of analyzing the impact and effectiveness of vaccination in reducing cases of the new coronavirus and in controlling the pandemic. Participants will be followed for one year.

With the mass vaccination started in February with Coronavac, Serrana saw the cases of the disease fall from April, the month in which the application of two doses of the immunizing agent to the residents was completed. That month, there were 235 cases of the disease, compared to 692 in the previous month.

At the height of the second wave, March had registered 18 deaths in the city of 46 thousand inhabitants, the worst month of the pandemic, a number that dropped to 8 the following month and that has been gradually decreasing.

There were 7 deaths in May, 6 in June, 2 in July, 7 in August, 4 in September, 3 in October and 2 in this month, until Friday (19).

In relation to confirmed cases, after the sharp drop, the numbers remained stable until September, the month in which 179 records were computed.

October, however, saw the total number of cases more than triple and reach 563, a scenario that is repeated in November, with 449 records up to the last week — if the average is maintained, it will surpass October.

“I see it as a return to normality for the population. People have reduced protection, started going more to parties and social gatherings, everything contributed. The virus has not ended,” said Mayor Léo Capitelli (MDB).

According to him, the vaccines applied by Butantan helped to hold back serious cases and deaths as a result of the disease, fulfilling the role for which Coronavac was developed.

“If it weren’t for the vaccine, we would be very complicated”, citing that the booster dose, which has already been applied to the population over 60 years old and to health and education professionals, has shown results.

Data from the Health Department show that the incidence of new cases among people aged 60 years and over is negligible.

The booster dose is being applied with the available vaccines, not necessarily with Coronavac, which guided the entire study of Butantan in the city, according to the mayor.

As the entire population over 18 years old received the two doses of Coronavac until the beginning of April —that is, seven months ago—, everyone is able to be immunized with the booster dose, which began to be applied to elderly residents between 18 and 59 years old this Monday (22), without any age bracket.

The immunization is expected to be completed within three weeks.

There are eight city residents admitted to hospitals in the city and the region undergoing treatment against Covid-19, none in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit), according to the city.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Serrana has confirmed 5,852 cases of the new coronavirus, with 117 deaths. In the week the mass vaccination began, there were 2,470 cases, with 57 deaths.

The high incidence of the disease in the first months of the pandemic motivated Butantan to choose the city for the study.

The institute divided 27,160 city residents (equivalent to 95.7% of the adult population) into four groups: green, yellow, gray and blue. Each of them received the vaccine a week apart. After the last group received the first dose, the application of the second dose in the first group started.

According to Butantan, among the positive results of the project are the reductions in hospitalizations, deaths and cases of Covid-19.