“If possible, the women should postpone the pregnancy a bit to a better time so that (they) can have a more peaceful pregnancy,” Brazilian Health Ministry Primary Health Secretary Raphael Camara said on Friday. “Of course we can not say that for those who are 42, 43 years old, but for a young woman who can, it is best to wait a bit,” he said during a press conference.
According to Johns Hopkins University, according to Johns Hopkins University, Brazil ranks second in the U.S. in terms of Covid-19 deaths, with 368,749 deaths and more than 13.8 million cases. Cities across the country have been hit hard by a recent increase in Covid-19 cases and deaths, fueled in part by new variants that are believed to be extra contagious and some Brazilians’ disregard for socially removed measures.
“In Brazil, the federal response was a dangerous combination of inactivity and wrongdoing, including the promotion of chloroquine as a treatment despite a lack of evidence,” led a team led by Marcia Castro of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. experts from the University of São Paulo and elsewhere write in their report, published in the journal Science.
Researchers have argued that “quick and fair” responses from the federal government could help curb the outbreak and protect the most vulnerable – but leaders have failed and still succeed.
In the city of Manaus, an increase in severe cases has led to the collapse of hospital systems, with a shortage of oxygen for patients.
“Without immediate action, it could be a preview of what will happen in other places in Brazil,” the team warned. Unless the government acts immediately, takes epidemiological and genomic surveillance measures and intensifies vaccinations, the spread of variants is likely to lead to ‘unimaginable loss of life’.
Camara said Friday the ministry is working on studies on the issue of pregnancy and variants.
“We do not have a national or international study, but the clinical view of experts shows that the new variant has a more aggressive effect on pregnant women,” he said. ‘Previously, [severity] are linked to the end of pregnancy, but now they are seeing a more serious evolution in the second trimester and even in the first trimester, ‘he added.