MIAMI.-After the New Year holidays, the circulation of the coronavirus COVID-19in its new variant, seems to be spreading again through USA and several countries in Latin America and Europe, and increasing hospitalizations due to respiratory complications, according to recent reports.
Also, in Argentina, Venezuela, Spain and other Asian countries the number of patients with severe respiratory problems is increasing and requiring hospitalization.
Deaths from COVID-19 in Peru
However, the most tragic report is in Peru, where this January 4, three patient deaths were confirmed, since January 2, due to COVID-19, reported doctor Aníbal Morillo, regional health manager of La Libertad. to local media.
The three deceased people, two of them women, were not vaccinated, he said, and he attributed the resurgence of the disease to the holiday season and migration, mainly.
The truth is that after three years of COVID-19 appearing as the worst pandemic of the 21st century, doctors are once again calling for the mandatory use of masks in health centers and in closed places due to the resurgence of the viral condition and other respiratory diseases in the US and other countries in Latin America and Europe.
Virus rebound?
At the end of 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified and classified the JN.1 variant of COVID-19 as a variant of interest (VOI), separate from the original BA.2.86 lineage, although it considered the additional risk to the global public health.
“With the arrival of winter in the northern hemisphere, JN.1 could increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries,” it warned in a statement in which it assured that it would continue to monitor the evidence and possible risks.
But the appearance of the new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus coincides with the appearance of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infection in the US, which the CDC warned at the end of 2023, and which can cause bronchiolitis, which is the inflammation of the small airways of the lung; and also pneumonia, which is an infection of the lungs, and mainly affects children.
From its appearance at the end of 2019 until August 2023, COVID-19 left more than 7 million people dead and the US topped the list of the most affected countries, with 1.2 million deaths. And also billion-dollar economic losses, according to reports.
Get vaccinated and other medical advice
Whatever the infection, in addition to masks to prevent contagion, doctors currently advise avoiding crowds, poorly ventilated spaces, washing your hands for 20 minutes and covering your mouth with a tissue or paper when coughing and sneezing, such as The WHO indicated it in the past.
But the most important thing to protect yourself, they warn, is to stay up to date with the COVID-19 vaccine. “There are also RSV vaccines available for infants, and if you are 60 or older, there is a vaccine available to protect you from severe RSV,” says the American Red Cross.
The organization provides free COVID-19 tests so that all households in the United States can request them when required.
In addition, it advises, through a recent note, to attend to the following recommendations:
*Stay home if you are sick.
*Stay home if you have a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.
*Avoid contact with people who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
*Avoid close contact with other people, such as kissing, shaking hands, and sharing cups and eating utensils.
*Clean frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs and mobile devices, with alcohol.
Source: With information from RPPnoticias, cdc.gov, redcross.org, Infobae, es.estatista.com
