Brazil: COVID-19 Intensifies Following World Cup Craze

As the soccer-crazed population of Brazil congregates in large numbers to watch the World Cup, public health officials are concerned about a fresh wave of COVID-19 cases caused by novel coronavirus sub-variants and postponed vaccine boosters.

Many Brazilians take time off work to attend bars, restaurants, and backyard barbecues to cheer on their national team as they attempt to win their sixth consecutive World Cup in Qatar.

According to official statistics, Brazil's number of new COVID cases increased last week by 230% from early November to a level not seen since August. From zero deaths in October to 116 deaths related on Tuesday, per Today.

According to Margareth Dalcolmo of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, a biological research facility in Rio de Janeiro, there is a significant probability of transmission at any gathering as the infection is very easy to catch.

Brazilian health regulator, ANVISA, announced late Tuesday that face masks would again be required in airports and on all flights to contain the virus.

The panel also approved two new Pfizer Inc. booster vaccinations on Tuesday, protecting against the original Omicron virus and its subvariants BA.1 and BA.4/BA.5.

Experts say the increase in cases can be attributed to the slow rollout of vaccines against newly emerged, highly contagious strains.

New COVID-19 Variant in Brazil, Derived From Omicron Detected in Sao Paulo

The Butantan Institute's Center for Viral Surveillance and Serological Evaluation discovered the omicron BN.1 subvariant in Brazil.

Agencia Brasil stated that on October 27, it was discovered in a 38-year-old male resident of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The center claims that the World Health Organization (WHO) does not consider BN.1 a highly worrying, more contagious variant.

Therefore, it is believed that the total number of cases in Sao Paulo will remain.

On July 28, BN.1 was initially identified in India's Pango system of Sars-CoV-2 strains.

Currently, the United States is the primary location for BN.1 detection, accounting for 16% of all samples found worldwide.

Sao Paulo residents speak not only BN.1 but also XBB.1 and CK.2.1.1, two additional Omicron subvariants.

They are powerless against BQ.1.1, one of the agents responsible for the recent outbreak of contaminations in Brazil and elsewhere.

Brazil Requires Everyone To Wear Mask in Airports and Planes

Brazil has reinstituted the rule just two months after it had been suspended, although it will not go so far as to resume banning in-flight meal service.

The new requirements were published this week by ANVISA and will take effect on Friday, November 25.

Brazil had rigorous COVID-19 regulations in the past, with its initial requirement for masks on board aircraft lasting over two years.

Food eating aboard aircraft was once regulated, but the regulatory body has no plans to bring those rules back.

While the mask requirement was finally relaxed in August, in-flight meal service came back in May, said Simple Flying.

Changes were made after a meeting on COVID restrictions was held by the governing body, where it was emphasized that epidemiological data required the reinstatement of non-pharmacological protective measures, such as the use of masks, particularly in public transportation, airports, and closed or confined environments.

Researchers Carla Domingues and Wanderson Oliveira, along with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, the Brazilian Collective Health Association, and the National Council of Health Secretaries (Conass), all had a hand in making the final call.

Director of ANVISA Alex Campos offered the suggestion, framing it as a community duty:

"The use of masks in higher risk environments, due to their characteristics of confinement, circulation, and agglomeration of people, represents an act of citizenship and protection of the community and aims to mitigate the risk of transmission and contagion of the disease."

Officially, approximately 690,000 people have died in Brazil due to COVID-19, making it the second-highest official death toll after the United States.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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