Last Tuesday (14), Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) received a letter, organized by the president of the CFM (Federal Council of Medicine), José Hiran, who contested, based on scientific data, the recommendation of the use wearing a mask by the general population or by certain groups, such as aircraft passengers.
Anvisa, in a note to the R7explained that he instituted the use of masks as individual and collective protection and that he would observe the behavior of the disease and viral circulation during and after Carnival to possibly make a decision.
In view of the situation, the Ministry of Health, through a technical note, also reaffirmed that the recommendation to use a mask in Brazil will remain in force, even in the face of the letter and the recent changes made by the WHO (World Health Organization).
According to WHO, masks should only be used by those who have recently been exposed to the coronavirus, for confirmed or suspected cases of the disease, people at high risk for severe cases of Covid and in overcrowded, closed environments with inadequate air ventilation.
“This Coordination [Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde e Ambiente, Departamento de Imunização e Doenças Imunopreveníveis e Coordenação-Geral de Vigilância das Doenças Imunopreveníveis] concludes that, at this moment, it is not necessary to update the WHO recommendation related to the use of a mask in Brazil”, declared the ministry in the document.
This means that the recommendations instituted by the folder on October 27, 2022 are still valid. Therefore, the use of a mask is indicated:
– at the individual level;
– people with flu-like symptoms, suspected or confirmed cases of Covid-19 and people who have had close contact with a suspected/confirmed case of the disease;
– to people with risk factors for complications from Covid (especially immunosuppressed people, the elderly, pregnant women and people with multiple comorbidities) in situations of greater risk of contamination by Covid-19, such as: closed and poorly ventilated places, places with crowds and places of health services;
– at the collective level.
Furthermore, the folder indicates that the use of masks in collective places is defined by local authorities and in accordance with the epidemiological scenario in the region. Each federal unit or municipality must follow basic criteria to assess use, such as: vaccination coverage (including booster doses), transmission rate, SARS hospitalization rate and mortality, among others.
“In the event of an outbreak of Covid-19 in a given place or institution, it is recommended that all individuals in the same environment wear a mask, due to the potential risk of transmission by asymptomatic people”, reinforces the Ministry of Health.
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