RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Ministry of Health has changed its strategy: on Thursday, July 9th, it began to recommend that patients seek medical attention when they feel any of the symptoms of Covid-19, even those considered mild.
Previously, the advice was that those with the mildest symptoms should stay home and seek help only in case of more serious symptoms attributable to the disease, such as shortness of breath. In addition to the latter, among the most recurrent symptoms of the disease are fever, cough, fatigue, pain in the body and discomfort, sore throat, headache and, in some cases, sneezing, runny nose, and diarrhea.
According to the portfolio’s executive secretary, Elcio Franco, the evidence in Brazil and the world has shown that, when care is sought at an initial stage of the disease, its progression can be prevented.
“The Ministry of Health has adopted a new direction for cases of Covid-19, changing the ‘stay home’ strategy to ‘in cases of symptoms, seek a health care professional,’ even if it is a mild symptom,” he said at a press conference on Thursday.
He further added that the new guidelinea seek to prevent deaths and the aggravation of the disease, which can compromise the country’s health care structure.
Elcio argued that patients, while remaining at home, have reached hospitals in more serious clinical conditions, which hinders the reversal of the disease. A report in the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper published on Tuesday, July 7th, showed a 53 percent rise in deaths by natural causes at home between March 15th and June 13th.
“Early care has a more assertive response, preventing deterioration, avoiding the need for ventilators,” he said.
The secretary stressed that the SUS (National Health System) is prepared to accept patients. “Screening centers have been created, the community centers. We are reinforcing the whole primary care structure with doctors hired by the Mais Médicos (More Doctors) program. This was designed so that the population could seek early care.”
Source: Folhapress