COVID-19 in Brazil: advantages of a socialized unified health system and preparation to contain cases

Abstract The outbreak of new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reported for the first time in Wuhan, China in late December 2019 have rapidly spread to other countries and it was declared on January 30, 2020 as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organiza...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
Main Authors: Julio Croda, Wanderson Kleber de Oliveira, Rodrigo Lins Frutuoso, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, Djane Clarys Baia-da-Silva, José Diego Brito-Sousa, Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro, Marcus Vinícius Guimarães Lacerda
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2020
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0167-2020
https://doaj.org/article/2bb930c25fc14f37a1688641f9b47731
Description
Summary:Abstract The outbreak of new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reported for the first time in Wuhan, China in late December 2019 have rapidly spread to other countries and it was declared on January 30, 2020 as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization. Before the first COVID-19 cases were reported in Brazil, several measures have been implemented including the adjustment of legal framework to carry out isolation and quarantine. As the cases increased significantly, new measures, mainly to reduce mortality and severe cases, have also been implemented. Rapid and robust preparedness actions have been undertaken in Brazil while first cases have not yet been identified in Latin-American. The outcome of this early preparation should be analyzed in future studies.