Hospitalizations for flu are discharged in the city of São Paulo

The city of São Paulo has seen an increase in hospitalizations for srag (severe acute respiratory syndrome) caused by the influenza virus in recent weeks.

The number of hospitalizations with flu already reaches 24.5% of the total of those caused by flu syndromes in the public network, according to data from the Covid-19 Panel of the Municipal Health Department for the last epidemiological week (from 19 to 25 December).

In the same period, admissions for Covid-19 were down about 15% compared to the previous week (December 12-18): there are now 16 cases of Covid among the 363 hospitalized for Srg (4.4%), compared to 37 in the previous week of a total of 973 cases (or 3.8%).

In the 49th epidemiological week (December 5th to 11th), out of a total of 967 hospitalizations due to srag, 143 were due to influenza (14.8%) and 56 were diagnosed with Covid (or 5.7%).

The data were collected by the G1 portal and verified by the leaf. In addition to confirmed cases of influenza (without distinction of the H1N1 virus or the new Darwin strain) or Sars-CoV-2, more than 70% of admissions are still awaiting laboratory confirmation or are of unidentified srag, which can cause these numbers will change in the coming weeks.

Before early December, however, admissions for srag diagnosed for Covid were higher than those for flu. The difference between the two, although small (46 against 37), still represented a higher incidence of Covid-19 cases in the capital, a trend that had been declining since mid-August.

With the arrival of a new strain of the influenza virus, however, a flu epidemic hit the city of São Paulo —in addition to other parts of Brazil— and reversed this situation.

In the first half of December, the epidemic led to queues of up to six hours for an appointment in hospitals in the capital.

The number of hospitalizations for flu increased by more than 500% in ten days. According to the Municipal Health Department, in the month of December until this Tuesday (28), there were 251,589 visits to people with respiratory problems. Of those, 115,235 were Covid suspects.

In November, a total of 111,949 consultations of people with flu-like symptoms were registered, of which 56,220 were suspected of Covid-19.

According to the Health Surveillance Coordination (Covisa), an increase in the detection of cases of srag hospitalized for influenza was identified, especially influenza A, from the last few weeks of this year.

Asked about the cases still under investigation and whether they could increase cases of flu or Covid, the secretariat informs that there is no way to predict their results, as they are carried out by different laboratories with their own workflows.

“When there is an increase in cases, the interval in filling in the information can be changed”, says the folder.

The Municipal Health Department also states that part of the beds at the Hospital Municipal da Brasilândia were intended for the reception and treatment of flu cases in the city, with the aim of concentrating patients in one unit for proper monitoring.

On Tuesday (28) there were 120 patients hospitalized in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds and 240 in ward beds at the hospital.

“In addition, the municipal health network hired professionals in the area and installed tents in units with a greater number of services to expedite the screening of service users. Their expansion takes place gradually, according to demand”, says the statement. .

In one of the units, UPA Perus, in the north of São Paulo, there was confusion on Monday after more than 300 patients were irritated by the delay in receiving care. Patients also reported a lack of medication to treat flu symptoms, such as loratadine, indicated for runny nose and allergic symptoms.

The flu epidemic also caused a high demand for the antiviral Tamiflu, which is already in short supply in large pharmacies in São Paulo.

Regarding the episode at UPA Perus, the city hall says it regrets what happened and says it has been engaged in hiring 280 new professionals to help the units in the care of respiratory conditions. In this month of December alone, UPA Perus performed 16,701 assistances, 4,988 for respiratory conditions.

On the lack of medicines, the secretariat says that routinely stocks are replenished according to the schedule of the supply sector.

“It is worth noting that the change in consumption caused by the pandemic caused significant changes in the purchasing processes (…). With this, all purchasing routines were adapted, through the execution of new contracts due to the increase in demand or short supply term, due to the variation in the prices of inputs on the market, significantly harming the supply chain,” said the city hall.

VACCINATION

To try to contain the flu cases in the city of São Paulo, the city hall released, through the Municipal Health Department, vaccination against the influenza virus, which causes the flu, for the entire population from six months of age. Tuesday (28).

In a note sent last Monday night (27), the city hall said that all those who did not receive the immunizing against the flu in 2021 can be vaccinated.

In the last vaccination campaign against flu, which ended in September, vaccination coverage achieved throughout the state of São Paulo was 55.5%. In the capital, so far, 4.5 million people have received the immunizing agent, or 78% of the target audience.

The immunization against the flu takes place in 469 Basic Health Units (UBSs), drive-thrus, mega stations and partner pharmacies, that is, in the same places where doses of vaccines against Covid are applied.

Until then, the campaign was offered only to priority groups, such as babies and children aged six months to five years, those over 60 and pregnant women, but adherence was low. On the first day of the campaign, for example, there were only 6,000 applications.

It is possible to take the flu vaccine together with Covid-19, not needing to wait the 14-day gap that existed between the two in previous moments of the campaigns.