Omicron raises alert in Brazil cities to critical, intermediate

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BRASILIA. KAZINFORM Brazil’s Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) released a technical note reporting that a third of all 27 Brazilian states and ten capital cities are in now the intermediate and critical zone for the incidence of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The conclusion was reached comparing rates between January 10 with the time series in a survey of COVID-19 ICU beds for adults in the country’s national health care network SUS, AgenciaBrasil reports.

Among the capitals, Fortaleza is said to have 88 percent of ICU beds taken, followed by Recife (80%), Belo Horizonte (84%), and Goiânia (94%) in the critical alert zone. Porto Velho (76%), Macapá (60%), Maceió (68%), Salvador (68%), Vitória (77%), and Brasília (74%) fall in the intermediate range.

As it stands today, rates are still different from 2021 levels, but the foundation draws attention to their sharp increase amid the quick spread of the Omicron variant across Brazil.

The number of ICU hospitalizations is still considerably lower than on August 2, when beds started being removed, but the elevated case tally is demanding more attention from leaders and making contingency plans necessary.

The experts reiterated the need to redesign health service networks on account of the high number of agents infected, with the implementation of telehealth and the advance of vaccination.


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