The influenza A H3N2 virus, the same one associated with the Rio de Janeiro flu epidemic, is circulating in the city of São Paulo and has already caused an increase in emergency room visits and admissions to public and private hospitals. According to infectologist Nancy Bellei, professor at UNIFESP and coordinator of testing at Hospital São Paulo, between Monday (13) and Tuesday (14), there are already nine people hospitalized with H3N2. In one week, there are 19 cases of admissions. Last year, from March to June, the flu peak period, there were 12 cases.
Virologist Celso Granato, clinical director of Grupo Fleury, also says that he has seen an increased rate of H3N2 positivity in the samples analyzed, but he still doesn't have a final number. "That's what happened in Rio. There, the positivity in exams [for H3N2] increased more than tenfold. Now it's here."
The H3N2 virus is one of the subtypes of the influenza A virus. The symptoms caused by this virus are the classic flu ones: high fever with an acute onset, headache, joint pain, nasal cold, sore throat and cough.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon