Since the first case of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) registered in Brazil, on February 26, it is the state of São Paulo that concentrates the largest number of cases and deaths by COVID-19 in the country. This Thursday (25), it surpasses Italy, the second epicenter of the virus, in total numbers of cases of respiratory infection.
So far, the state of São Paulo has notified 248,587 cases of COVID-19 and thus overtakes Italy by more than nine thousand infected. This is because the European country records 239,706 cases, according to a survey Worldometers platform.
As for the absolute number of deaths, Italy still suffers more from the effects of the pandemic, since it totals 34,678 deaths, while São Paulo counts 13,971, according to a balance released by the State Department of Health during a press conference at the Palácio dos Bandeirantes. In addition, the mortality rate among Italians is 57.4 per 100,000 inhabitants, while the state has a rate of 31.27 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Overview of COVID-19
According to the executive secretary of the Coronavirus Contingency Center in São Paulo, João Gabbardo, health indicators in the state point to a reduction in pressure under the system, in response to the drop in transmissions of the new coronavirus. This is because the center that coordinates the regulation of ICU beds points out that, in recent weeks, in the city of São Paulo, there has been a sustained decrease in the request for beds for hospitalization, both in the ward and in the ICU.
“It should be taken into account that the increase in testing by serological examination should influence the numbers, but when cleaning the data by removing the results corresponding to the serological examination, this rate of transmissibility tends to reduce in the capital, as is predicted the increase in data in the interior “, explains Gabbardo.
Currently, the occupancy rate of ICU beds reserved for COVID-19 reaches 65.5% in the state and 67.9% in Greater São Paulo. In addition, there are 5,608 patients with confirmation or suspicion of infection admitted to ICUs and 8,369 to wards, within the state.
Interior of São Paulo
If the situation improves in the capital of São Paulo, the interior faces a more delicate situation in facing the epidemic. In fact, the interior has already surpassed the capital of São Paulo in number of deaths due to respiratory infection. Until yesterday (24), the capital had registered 6,675 deaths confirmed by the new coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of the interior is higher, with 6,677 deaths.
Earlier this week, the interior had already overtaken the capital in number of cases. Yesterday (24), the capital had 113,261 confirmed cases of COVID-19, while the interior reported 125,561 cases. According to Marco Vinholi, São Paulo’s Regional Development Secretary, last week the interior had 14.5% more confirmed cases than the capital.
Source: Newspaper and Agency Brazil