Rio de Janeiro, Beritasatu.com– Brazil has asked women to “postpone pregnancy” until the Covid-19 pandemic has subsided. As reported RT, Friday (16/4/2021), the authorities argued that the threat of a variant of the virus corona that hit the country very dangerously.
“If possible, delay pregnancy a little until a better time,” Health Ministry official Raphael Parente told a news conference on Friday.
Parente warned that the P1 variant of the virus corona which is prevalent in Brazil “reacts more aggressively in pregnant women.”
Brazil has become a hotspot for the spread of the virus corona in the world as of late, with 13.7 million cases of Covid-19 recorded and 365,000 deaths. With that number, Brazil ranks second for the record number of Covid-19 deaths after the United States.
What is worrying is the high infant mortality rate due to Covid-19 in Brazil. Between 518 and 1,032 babies under one year of age have died from the virus since last February, according to various estimates compiled by the BBC. The country’s high infection rate as a whole is blamed for the infant’s death.
A variant of the virus called P1 is believed to be responsible for the surge in infections in the country, which, according to public health agency Fiocruz, has brought the country’s health care system closer to collapse than at any time in the country’s history.
After being first identified in the Amazon city of Manaus, the new variant of Covid-19 is highly contagious and more likely to affect younger people. In addition, scientists claim that the variant is more resistant to vaccines and antibodies.
While the virus could harm pregnant women, and vaccine protection lax, the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunizations (JCVI) on Friday advised pregnant women should choose vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna whenever possible. Authorities argue there is more real-world safety data on the vaccine.
“There is no evidence to suggest that other vaccines are not safe for pregnant women, but more research is needed,” added JCVI.
Source: BeritaSatu.com
– .
