CHALLENGES OF THE MEDICAL TEAM DURING HOSPITAL TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH SUSPECTED COVID-19

Abstract

In December 2019, a new disease was identified in China. From the investigation of cases of pneumonia of undefined origin, researchers came to the identification of a new coronavirus, named SARS-CoV-2. The health sector in Brazil is facing a huge load from the disease pandemic. Since February 26, 2020, when the first case of COVID-19 was registered in São Paulo, the Unified Health System, which offers universal access to health services, and the private sector face a growing pressure and overload on the system, with 241 thousand cases, 16 thousand deaths and 8 million of tests performed. In the most affected regions, health systems are near to the collapse - the result of years of fragmentation and decades of financial cuts, and deprivations of human and technical resources. This scenario never before faced in most of western countries, but already seen in eastern countries, is a major challenge for health teams and health managers in Brazil. This review aims to elucidate the main challenges of the hospital team in the management of patients suspected of COVID-19 during the 2020 pandemic in Brazil.