COVID-19 in Brazilian indigenous people: a new threat to old problems

Simionatto, Simone; Barbosa, Marcelo dos Santos; Marchioro, Silvana Beutinger

doi:10.1590/0037-8682-0476-2020

Cited by 10 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 10 publications

(10 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Being aware that the SARS-CoV-2 transmission is carried out mainly through interpersonal contact, one important factor of this increase in cases among the Indigenous population might be the Indigenous group proximity with other ethnic groups. The contact might occur through several activities such as tourism, wood exploitation, illegal hunting, drug dealing, missionary actions, and the return of Indigenous individuals from their workplace to the community, among others [ 5 , 19 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared that the COVID-19 could be characterized as a pandemic due to the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19) [1] caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [2]. Facing this scenery, the analysis of the health and disease processes in different social contexts became relevant for the COVID-19 control, mainly when considering the great territorial extension, the social and demographic aspects, and the populational heterogeneity in Brazil.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

COVID-19 pandemic evolution in the Brazilian Indigenous population

Mendes

Pereira

Lima

et al. 2021

J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has affected several neglected populations such as the Indigenous peoples, which have suffered a high impact from the pandemic. Objectives To analyze the impact on the health and disease process according to the COVID-19 evolution in the Brazilian Indigenous population. Methods Data was collected from press releases by the Health Ministry and a descriptive analysis of the numbers of Indigenous individuals infected with the SARS-CoV-2 in Brazil was carried out. Results In February 2021, there were 41,855 confirmed cases of Indigenous individuals infected by the SARS-CoV-2, including 4,387 active cases, 36,809 recovered cases, and 549 deaths. The Brazilian Indigenous population is distributed in over 300 ethnic groups and, due to the high number of deaths by the COVID-19, many of these groups are endangered. The elderly are the most affected age group, and they play a fundamental role among the Indigenous population for transmitting their customs mainly orally. Indigenous populations do not have proper access to transport to specialized health centers, since many areas are inaccessible and other cases require air or river transportation, which many times results in late assistance. When managing the COVID-19, it is important to emphasize the need for social isolation to prevent the virus from spreading among the Indigenous groups, mainly due to their contact with other ethnic groups represented by missionaries, hunters, and wood explorers, among others. Conclusion The adoption of practices that can reduce the virus transmission among the Indigenous population and provide them with better access to treatment, mainly for the elderly, must be prioritized in Brazil.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 pandemic evolution in the Brazilian Indigenous population

Mendes

Pereira

Lima

et al. 2021

J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The high prevalence of antibodies in the Warao population demonstrated in this study is similar to that found recently in the Xikrin of Bacajá ethnic group in the Xingu region, also in the State of Pará [ 9 ] in which 73% of the population also had anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The high prevalence among the migrants in Belem is possibly due to their daily activities in the streets searching for resources (called by them “gathering”), precarious housing, and the habit of family visiting among the shelters, which puts them in a situation of high risk of infection by the SARS-CoV-2, differently of the Xikrin of Bacajá population which live in a semi-isolated village, but relatively close to the local rural population [ 9 , 17 ]. In addition, as mentioned above, the risk of infection likely increases as individuals demonstrate difficulties in following the recommendations for the use of mask and social distancing, associated with cultural factors, life in precarious sanitary conditions, and have low income as revealed by the responses to the epidemiological questionnaire.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, traditional groups historically have difficulty accessing basic and specialized health care programs, depend exclusively of the SUS to assist all cases of COVID-19, and have shown a high rate of morbidity and mortality [ 7 , 19 ]. In addition, there are cultural issues that hinder the use of masks and social isolation, as well as issues of access to water, housing conditions and the sharing of household items, which may impact the practice of non-pharmacological preventive measures [ 17 , 20 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migration in times of pandemic: SARS-CoV-2 infection among the Warao indigenous refugees in Belém, Pará, Amazonia, Brazil

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The emergence of the new causative agent of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the city of Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and its spread worldwide, led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a pandemic. The disease has caused high mortality among traditional populations and the most socially vulnerable groups such indigenous and refugees. The present study aims to investigate the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in the population of Venezuelan indigenous Warao refugees residing in private and public shelters in the city of Belem, capital of Para State, in the Brazilian Amazon. Methods One hundred one individuals of both sexes (43 men and 58 women) with ages varying from 18 to 77 years (average of 36 years) were investigated. Whole blood samples were collected and subsequently separated into plasma and leukocytes. Serological analysis was performed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay - ELISA (Anti-SARS-COV-2 S1 IgG, EUROIMMUN, USA). Results The results indicate a positive serum prevalence of 83.2% (84), of which 77.6% (45/58) were females and 90.7% (39/43) were males. An indeterminate profile was observed in 6.9% (7), where it was not possible to confirm the presence of antibodies, and 9.9% (10) individuals were negative for IgG antibodies. Conclusions The finding of the high seroprevalence of IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies reveals a high exposure of the Warao population in Belem to infection with the new coronavirus. These results underscore the importance of maintaining epidemiological surveillance with testing in traditional populations due to the high possibility of spreading the virus, especially among the most socioeconomically vulnerable groups, which depend exclusively on the Unified Health System (SUS), such as refugees and indigenous people.

show abstract

“…In July 2020 Brazil had a total of 13,728 cases of COVID 19 among indigenous population with 1.716 incidence and lethality of 1.86% ( Simionatto et al ., 2020 ). The last SESAI (Subsistema de atenção à saúde indígena) report (10/19/2020) describes a total of 31,327 cases of COVID 19 among Brazilian indigenous population with 464 deaths ( Saúde Indígena, 2020 ).…”

Section: The Current Brazilian and Amazonian Context For Science And mentioning

confidence: 99%

Emerging complexities and rising omission: Contrasts among socio-ecological contexts of infectious diseases, research and policy in Brazil

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this article, we explore elements that highlight the interdependent nature of demands for knowledge production and decision-making related to the appearance of emerging diseases. To this end, we refer to scientific production and current contextual evidence to verify situations mainly related to the Brazilian Amazon, which suffers systematic disturbances and is characterized as a possible source of pathogenic microorganisms. With the acceleration of the Anthropocene's environmental changes, socio-ecological instabilities and the possibility of the emergence of infectious diseases merge into a background of a ´twin insurgency´. Furthermore, there is a tendency to impose economic hegemony in the current Brazilian context, corroborating discourses and pressures to a scientific simplification and denial. With this, we assert that developmental sectoral actions and monoculture of knowledge characterize an agenda of omission, that is, a process of decision making that indirectly reinforces ecological degradation and carelessness in the face of the possibility of the emergence and spreading of new diseases, such as COVID-19. Tackling the socio-ecological complexity inherent in the risk of the emergence of infectious diseases requires robust co-construction of scientific knowledge, eco-social approaches, and corresponding governance and sophisticated decision-making arrangements.

show abstract

COVID-19 in Brazilian indigenous people: a new threat to old problems

Cited by 10 publications

References 10 publications

COVID-19 pandemic evolution in the Brazilian Indigenous population

COVID-19 pandemic evolution in the Brazilian Indigenous population

Migration in times of pandemic: SARS-CoV-2 infection among the Warao indigenous refugees in Belém, Pará, Amazonia, Brazil

Emerging complexities and rising omission: Contrasts among socio-ecological contexts of infectious diseases, research and policy in Brazil

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About