José Gomes Temporão, a public health physician and former Minister of Health in the Lula administration, told Valor Econômico that the level of herd immunity against COVID-19 needed to return to normal may be lower than the 60% of the population initially predicted. This theory, which has not yet been proven, would explain the easing of the epidemic in large urban centers, where contact with the virus is higher than the national average, but still low.
The latest epidemiological survey by the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), released this month, showed an average prevalence of the virus in the country of just 3,8%. Temporão noted that in cities like Rio de Janeiro, the rate is around 7%, and yet the number of infections and daily deaths is decreasing.
"Possibly, there could be immunological memory due to previous contact with other viruses from the same family, or even the hypothesis that the population's vaccination coverage pattern could have an influence. But these trends remain to be confirmed," he said.
Former Minister Temporão's analysis of the drop in Covid-19 cases
Sanitation physician and former Lula administration Health Minister José Gomes Temporão told Valor Econômico that the level of herd immunity against COVID-19 needed to return to normal may be lower than the 60% of the population initially predicted. This theory, which has not yet been proven, would explain the easing of the epidemic in large urban centers, where…
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