RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – The growing epidemic of COVID-19 in Brazil is increasingly affecting younger people, with hospital data showing that last month most of those in intensive care were aged 40 or under, according to a new report.
The report, published by the Brazilian Association of Intensive Care Medicine (AMIB) over the weekend, is based on data from more than a third of all intensive care units in the country. There was a significant increase in the number of younger people admitted to bed in intensive care units (ICUs).
For the first time since the outbreak arrived in Brazil last year, 52% of ICU beds have been filled by patients aged 40 or under. This is a jump of 16.5% compared to the employment of the age group from December to February.
It is not clear why many young people get seriously ill during the current wave of the virus in Brazil, but some scientists believe that the new P1 variant that appeared in the city of Amazon Manaus could be at least partly to blame.
Other factors, such as vaccination of the elderly and the behavior of younger people who may feel less concerned about going out and socializing, could also influence the data.
In a separate report, the Fiocruz Institute of Public Health said the trend puts additional pressure on Brazil’s health system, as younger patients tend to spend more time in intensive care.
Brazil is currently the global epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, with daily deaths last week exceeding 4,000.
The outbreak pushes hospitals to the breaking point, with many patients dying before an intensive care bed becomes available.
More than 350,000 people have been killed by the coronavirus in Brazil, the second largest number in the world, behind the United States alone.