Abstract
This article discusses the epidemic situation of Covid-19 in Brazil, in the face of the emergence of a new strain called P.1, which is more transmissible and may be associated with reinfection. Given the collapse of hospital care in Manaus in January 2021 and the results of three recent preprints, each that reports increased transmissibility of the P.1 variant, we propose some urgent measures. Genomic surveillance based on multi-step diagnostics, starting with RT-PCR type tests and up to sequencing, should be established. Efforts to identify reinfections associated with this variant and the update of its definition in protocols should be prioritized, and studies on the efficacy of currently available vaccines in Brazil concerning the new variant should be conducted. We also propose improving the Brazilian health surveillance system such that genomic surveillance is coordinated and thereby better able to respond to future emergencies in a more timely fashion. We call on the public agents involved in health surveillance to share data and information regarding the epidemic in a clear, fast and transparent way. Finally, we propose a greater engagement in inter-institutional cooperation of all those involved in the response and production of knowledge about the pandemic in our country.
Highlights
This article discusses the epidemic situation of Covid-19 in Brazil, in the face of the emergence of a new strain called P.1, which is more transmissible and may be associated with reinfection
On the basis of data from Manaus, three recent preprints concluded that the P.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2 is much more transmissible than the variants that previously prevailed in the city
As the studies cited above suggest that the P.1 variant is spreading rapidly in many Brazilian states, a surveillance system to detect it and help respond in a timely manner should be implemented, ideally integrating epidemiological and genomic surveillance
Summary
This article discusses the epidemic situation of Covid-19 in Brazil, in the face of the emergence of a new strain called P.1, which is more transmissible and may be associated with reinfection. This third study found transmissibility to be 2.6 (95% confidence interval (95%CI) 2.4 – 2.8) times greater than that of the “wild” variant strain, and reinfections represented 28% of cases since the introduction of the variant.
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