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Journal ArticleDOI

Epidemiology of COVID-19 Among Indigenous Populations in Brazil.

TL;DR: In this article, a descriptive observational study was carried out in indigenous communities in the municipality of Amatura (Amazonas, Brazil), where individuals from the Alto Rio Solimoes Special Indigenous Sanitary District (DSEI) who met the Sars-Cov-2 infection case definitions during the period between January and August 2020 were included.
Abstract: Due to social and geographical isolation, indigenous people are more vulnerable to adverse conditions; however, there is a lack of data on the epidemics’ impact on these populations. Thus, this article’s objective was to describe the epidemiological situation of COVID-19 in indigenous communities in Brazil. This descriptive observational study was carried out in indigenous communities in the municipality of Amatura (Amazonas, Brazil). Individuals from the Alto Rio Solimoes Special Indigenous Sanitary District (DSEI) who met the Sars-Cov-2 infection case definitions during the period between January and August 2020 were included. For case notification, the definitions adopted by the Ministry of Health of Brazil and by the Special Secretariat for Indigenous Health were considered. Out of the entire population served by the Alto Rio Solimoes DSEI (n = 2890), 109 indigenous people were suspected of having been infected with Sars-Cov-R during the study period; a total of 89 cases were actually confirmed (rate: 3.08 cases/100,000 inhabitants). Most patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were female (56.2%), with a mean age of 32.4 (± 23.6) years. Predominant symptoms were fever (76.4%), dry cough (64%), and headache (60.7%). Complications occurred in 7.9% of the patients; no deaths were reported. These results enhance the observation that indigenous populations, even if relatively isolated, are exposed to COVID-19. The disease cases assessed showed a favorable evolution, which does not mean reducing the need for caring of this population.

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TL;DR: In this article, a revisao integrativa acerca dos estudos that identificaram a influencia da pandemia na saude de indigenas brasileiros, a fim de agrupar estas informacoes and gerar dados pertinentes a uma analise qualitativa.
Abstract: Este estudo objetivou realizar uma revisao integrativa acerca dos estudos que identificaram a influencia da pandemia na saude de indigenas brasileiros, a fim de agrupar estas informacoes e gerar dados pertinentes a uma analise qualitativa. Foram realizadas buscas nas bases de dados Scielo, Pubmed e BVS, utilizando-se os descritores “covid-19”, “indigenous” e “Brazil” conectados pelo operador booleano “AND”. Foram considerados somente artigos cientificos publicados nos ultimos 05 anos, de acesso gratuito, e cujo conteudo fosse escrito em lingua portuguesa ou inglesa. No total foram encontrados 22 artigos, sendo que 10 deles foram considerados na composicao dos resultados. Observou-se que os principais fatores da realidade indigena evidenciados pelo contexto pandemico estao associados as consequencias oriundas do isolamento social (falha no suprimento de alimentos, ameacas de grileiros e migracao de centros urbanos para aldeias), a barreiras geograficas (dificuldade de atendimento medico devido as rigorosas vigilâncias em fronteiras), e a aspectos culturais (recusa na utilizacao de medicamentos sinteticos, execucao de cerimonias ritualisticas em grupo e confinamento de muitas pessoas em um mesmo ambiente). As etnias indigenas tem se deparado com diversos agravantes ocasionados pela pandemia, o que tem servido de obstaculos a concretizacao de uma assistencia em saude que faca jus as especificidades deste povo, sendo necessario – frente os desafios impostos pela pandemia – fortalecer setores de atencao especificos, alem de garantir a participacao de liderancas indigenas no processo de construcao de politicas publicas saudaveis.

1 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Human airway epithelial cells were used to isolate a novel coronavirus, named 2019-nCoV, which formed a clade within the subgenus sarbecovirus, Orthocoronavirinae subfamily, which is the seventh member of the family of coronaviruses that infect humans.
Abstract: In December 2019, a cluster of patients with pneumonia of unknown cause was linked to a seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, China. A previously unknown betacoronavirus was discovered through the use of unbiased sequencing in samples from patients with pneumonia. Human airway epithelial cells were used to isolate a novel coronavirus, named 2019-nCoV, which formed a clade within the subgenus sarbecovirus, Orthocoronavirinae subfamily. Different from both MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, 2019-nCoV is the seventh member of the family of coronaviruses that infect humans. Enhanced surveillance and further investigation are ongoing. (Funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China and the National Major Project for Control and Prevention of Infectious Disease in China.).

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Taking into account the UN Sustainable Development Goals, this study recommends that national governments develop targeted policy responses to Indigenous health, improving access to health services, and Indigenous data within national surveillance systems.

649 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: To control COVID-19 in Brazil, it is also crucial that epidemiological monitoring is strengthened at all three levels of the Brazilian National Health System (SUS), which includes evaluating and usingsupplementary indicators to monitor the progression of the pandemic and the effect of the control measures.
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged researchers and policy makers to identify public safety measures forpreventing the collapse of healthcare systems and reducingdeaths. This narrative review summarizes the available evidence on the impact of social distancing measures on the epidemic and discusses the implementation of these measures in Brazil. Articles on the effect of social distancing on COVID-19 were selected from the PubMed, medRXiv and bioRvix databases. Federal and state legislation was analyzed to summarize the strategies implemented in Brazil. Social distancing measures adopted by the population appear effective, particularly when implemented in conjunction with the isolation of cases and quarantining of contacts. Therefore, social distancing measures, and social protection policies to guarantee the sustainability of these measures, should be implemented. To control COVID-19 in Brazil, it is also crucial that epidemiological monitoring is strengthened at all three levels of the Brazilian National Health System (SUS). This includes evaluating and usingsupplementary indicators to monitor the progression of the pandemic and the effect of the control measures, increasing testing capacity, and making disaggregated notificationsand testing resultstransparentand broadly available.

380 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
08 Mar 2018-Cell
TL;DR: 100 years after the infamous “Spanish flu” pandemic, the 2017–2018 flu season has been severe, with numerous infections worldwide.

193 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work provides a practical guide for designing and implementing a response to COVID-19 in indigenous communities and discusses four main challenges that need to be addressed by governments to guarantee the health and lives of those at the bottom of the social structure: the indigenous peoples in the region.
Abstract: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) pandemic struck Latin America in late February and is now beginning to spread across the rural indigenous communities in the region, home to 42 million people. Eighty percent of this highly marginalized population is concentrated in Bolivia, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru. Health care services for these ethnic groups face distinct challenges in view of their high levels of marginalization and cultural differences from the majority. Drawing on 30 years of work on the responses of health systems in the indigenous communities of Latin America, our group of researchers believes that countries in the region must be prepared to combat the epidemic in indigenous settings marked by deprivation and social disparity. We discuss four main challenges that need to be addressed by governments to guarantee the health and lives of those at the bottom of the social structure: the indigenous peoples in the region. More than an analysis, our work provides a practical guide for designing and implementing a response to COVID-19 in indigenous communities.

65 citations

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