Remember Flurone? An Influenza (Flu) epidemic with the Covid-19 coronavirus, which hit the Christmas and New Year festivities of 2022? It was published in all media outlets at the time and was popular!
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Well, in this new year Brazil is not free from seeing another wave of similar viruses attacking simultaneously.
At the end of last year, some countries registered an increase in the number of cases of a third disease that manifests itself in a similar way to Covid-19 and flu: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
The warning was made by the director of the Biocontainment Unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Brian Garibald.
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He and other experts have issued a warning about the rise in RSV cases in the United States and Canada, and the risks of a convergence of three concurrent epidemics.
In November, the World Economic Forum reinforced the issue and published an article highlighting the risks of the so-called “tripledemia.
Multiple viruses with similar symptoms
More common in children, RSV causes symptoms similar to those of a cold, and affects 1 in 56 babies before they turn one, according to data from a study conducted in Europe and published by The Lancet.
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Despite being mildly aggressive in most cases, RSV is capable of causing complications, especially in babies and the elderly, who have a more fragile immune system.
Since October last year, Garibaldi has monitored the increase in records of the three diseases at the Baltimore hospital, considered one of the most important in the United States.
The doctor also highlighted what lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic can serve as a lesson for 2023.
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“We had a really intense respiratory virus season, and it happened in waves. What's particularly tricky is trying to make the diagnosis, because the symptoms of RSV, flu and Covid can be very similar. It can be really challenging in a country that does not have good testing and monitoring capacity”, said Garibaldi, in an exclusive interview with Agência Einstein.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the increase in the circulation of the three viruses simultaneously in the United States, but, fortunately, the worst moment of each disease did not occur at the same time.
However, Garibaldi explains that it is necessary to invest in effective testing and surveillance systems for respiratory diseases to avoid a more tragic scenario in other countries.
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difficult diagnosis
“What’s particularly tricky is trying to diagnose it, because the symptoms of RSV, flu and Covid can be very similar. It can be really challenging in a country that does not have good testing and monitoring capacity”, says the American doctor.
“The problem we are seeing now in many places in the US is an increase in Covid. Still, it's nothing compared to what we had last January, when there was the big Omicron outbreak”, he adds, remembering that the vaccination schedule also reduces lethality and serious cases.
I think we have warning signs that we will also have an earlier and slightly more aggressive flu season in other countries, like the one we saw in the United States.
The expert warns of an important lesson: Covid-19 is clearly not over yet. The current omicron sublineages that are circulating are probably the most infectious of all time.
How could countries around the world prepare for possible outbreaks like this in the future? Do you think there is room to reinstate the mandatory use of masks, for example?
“I hope we've learned the lesson that we can now say 'Hey, there are high levels of infection in your community. Maybe it's time to put measures in place to try to reduce contagion and protect the most vulnerable', you know? “.
Source: Einstein Agency
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