Brazil reports first cases of community transmission of coronavirus.
According to the latest update from the Ministry of Health, this new situation has been recorded in the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil Agency - Brazil has reported its first cases of community transmission of the coronavirus. According to the latest update from the Ministry of Health, this new situation was registered in the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Community transmission occurs when surveillance teams can no longer trace the chain of infection, not knowing who the first patient responsible for infecting others was.
In total, four people acquired the virus through this mode of transmission. Another 79 are imported cases (who were infected abroad) and 15 were infected through local transmission (through contact with people who had imported cases).
"We have no evidence of an increase in hospitalizations due to severe acute respiratory syndrome," commented the Secretary of Health Surveillance at the Ministry of Health, Wanderson de Oliveira.
In the ministry's report released today (13), the number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus (Covid-19) reached 98. There were 21 more infected people than the last figure, announced yesterday (12). Suspected cases increased to 1.485. Those discarded remained at 1.344.
The states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are the epicenters of the outbreak in the country, with 56 and 16 confirmed cases respectively. Next are Paraná (six), Rio Grande do Sul (four), Goiás (three), and Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina, Bahia, the Federal District, and Pernambuco (two cases each). Alagoas and Espírito Santo complete the list (one case each).
In suspected cases, São Paulo also leads (753), followed by Minas Gerais (116), Rio Grande do Sul (81), Santa Catarina (77), Rio de Janeiro (76) and the Federal District (75). Only Roraima and Amapá have no confirmed or suspected cases.
Of the total, 15% of confirmed cases require a higher level of attention and could worsen. There are 12 people hospitalized.
Community transmission
Community transmission occurs when there is greater spread of the virus and surveillance teams no longer know the source of the cases. In this case, the measures recommended by the Ministry of Health become more complex, according to a set of initiatives announced today by the ministry's team.
The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) causes the disease called COVID-19, which originated in China in December 2019. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, tiredness, and a dry cough. Some patients may experience aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, and diarrhea. According to the World Health Organization, the estimated incubation period is 1 to 14 days. The most vulnerable groups are the elderly and people with chronic diseases (diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular diseases).
Transmission can occur through droplets of saliva, sneezing, coughing, or phlegm, which can be passed on through touch or handshakes, or through objects or surfaces contaminated by an infected person. The main forms of prevention are: frequently washing hands for 20 seconds with soap or using hand sanitizer; avoiding close contact with sick people; using a tissue to cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and discarding it in the trash after use; not sharing cups, cutlery, and personal items.