The ICUs are again crowded in many cities in Brazil, given the advancement of the Ômicron variant. This situation is encouraging the anti-vaccine movement, in Brazil and in the world, to attack science, in an attempt to demoralize the population’s vaccination effort. What they don’t mention is that current surveys in the US and Europe have shown that 80% to 90% of those hospitalized are unvaccinated or have had a single dose, not fully vaccinated. In Brazil, this is also proving to be true. Regrettably, it reminds us of Olavo de Carvalho, a staunch denialist, hospitalized last week with Covid-19 and connected to oxygen. But let’s get to the relevant information that matters to anyone looking for reliable, evidence-based information.
This week we complete one year since the start of vaccination against Covid-19 and we reached more than 310 million doses applied. Brazil currently has about 70% of the population vaccinated (with the complete vaccination schedule, which can be one or two doses, depending on the vaccine). Despite the delay in the start of vaccination and the thousands of lives lost due to this, Brazil quickly organized and expanded vaccination in a short time. We are starting to reach a number of vaccinees that should provide protection to the population, even more so now with the advancement of the Ômicron variant.
This is a variant that, as we already know, can be 3 to 4 times more contagious than the previous one and can spread quickly, as we saw initially in South Africa, then in Europe and the United States. It arrived in Brazil a few weeks ago, however, it is difficult to know precisely when, due to the lack of specific testing for Ômicron, as well as the data “blackout” that occurred in the Ministry of Health’s systems in December and which lasted more than a month.
It will now be difficult to monitor how many cases we actually had in this period, since the calculations were not feasible. that Ômicron is widespread. Clearly, monitoring reports show that Covid-19 has run rampant across the country, and Ômicron already accounts for the majority of cases.
In a significant portion of people, Ômicron seems to cause an apparently milder disease, which made some more enthusiastic to declare that we would be close to the end of the pandemic, that the virus would be attenuated by mutations and that soon the pandemic would be endemic. . However, in reality, this is not exactly what is happening in Brazil and in the world. Here, we are taking a serious risk with the high number of cases that we are already verifying in a short time.
The resounding increase in the number of cases and hospitalizations in the world, made the WHO change its discourse again by saying that the pandemic cannot be considered under control or close to the end. The fact is, we still don’t know what will happen after Omicron and predictions in this sense should be more cautious.
The coronavirus has taught us many things since 2020, and we used all the knowledge of science in favor of solutions, but we were also surprised. Therefore, the best thing to do right now is to adapt to the situation. It won’t help to refute, minimize the damage or distort the data, as those who deny science so much like. We will have to fight the Ômicron with the perseverance and with the knowledge that we have acquired so far. Thanks to studies and the constant search for knowledge, we have more tools today than 2 years ago. In addition, prevention continues and must be reinforced with the use of appropriate masks, fleeing crowds and isolation of positive cases.
And Science will continue to bring solutions. Data compiled by pediatrician and infectologist Filipe Da Veiga show that 90% of those who took a booster dose are protected against hospitalizations. Among unvaccinated adults there is a 13x greater chance of hospitalization compared to vaccinated adults. Therefore, greater care should be given to people over 65 years of age or with lower immunity, must continue. It’s worth repeating: it won’t help to refute the situation, minimize the damage or distort the data, as anti-science so much likes.
We still have about 30% of the Brazilian population that is not yet fully vaccinated. As shown by a survey by SoU_Ciência, only 5.5% of the population declared that they do not intend to be vaccinated under any circumstances. And only 9% of the population trusts the information that President Bolsonaro provides about vaccines.
Among the 25% not yet fully vaccinated, we have some issues such as the continental dimensions of the country, with places where vaccines do not arrive so easily. There are states where vaccination is still below 50%. But, worst of all, is the lack of clear and unified guidelines on the part of the Ministry of Health, since the National Immunization Program (PNI) has been without command for months. With the PNI and SUS in full swing, we could expect massive information campaigns, well-defined calendars in more than 5,000 municipalities, testing structures and, above all, notification.
As if that weren’t enough, we also have to investigate and combat counter-information that comes from all sides, including threats to scientists and doctors, through social media and other non-transparent mechanisms. All this delays vaccination, as happened recently with childhood vaccination.
Vaccination in Brazil brought unequivocal data that it produced a decrease in the number of serious cases and deaths from covid-19. Faced with Ômicron and with the booster dose, it will be one of the most important barriers to avoid hospitalization and serious illness. Along with masks, it will be the only way to avoid prolonging the pain and suffering of the disease. In the absence of a clear public health policy, we will rely on scientific evidence and do our part. Against the antivaccine and all the disseminators of fallacious information, let’s follow Science! She brought us answers so far and she will help us get to some future moment where we want so much: the end of the pandemic.
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