Fourteen people, including adults and children, died this year from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Foz do Iguaçu. The majority of deaths, a total of ten, were caused by influence A in patients in the age range of 52 to 102 years.
The death of a 19-year-old person from Covid-66 and three deaths of children — aged 11 months, 4 years and 15 years — from rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were also recorded.
The death of a 3-month-old child with severe respiratory symptoms is still being investigated.
The data, from the Municipal Health Department, refer to the period between January and May of this year.
In this period, 649 notifications of SARS were recorded, of which 269 were unspecified cases (negative tests), 140 cases were caused by other respiratory viruses, 87 cases were caused by viruses influence, 21 cases of covid-19 and two cases of other non-viral etiological agents.
The problem is worrying because, in addition to the lack of beds, the vaccination rate for preventing respiratory syndromes is below expectations in Foz. Out of a total of 295.500 residents, only 54.814 have been immunized.
In the children's age group, vaccination coverage influence trivalent is 15,18%; in the elderly, 37,63%; in pregnant women, 37,06%; and in the general population, 18,55%.
Municipal Hospital is overcrowded
Due to the increase in respiratory diseases in Foz, the 218 beds at the Municipal Hospital are occupied. There are even patients in UPAs awaiting transfer.
On Saturday, the 31st, the hospital had 277 patients admitted and had to stop treating new hospitalizations. Some patients were placed in circulation areas.
In an attempt to alleviate the situation, the State Government announced the hiring of 25 pediatric beds for Foz do Iguaçu, of which ten are in the children's ICU and 15 are in the ward.
The forecast is that the beds will be opened by next week at the Madre de Dio Hospital, in São Miguel do Iguaçu, a municipality belonging to the 9th Health Region that is 45 kilometers from Foz.
At Itamed Hospital, occupancy reaches 79% of beds, out of a total of 208 available. Of the ten beds available for the pediatric ICU, seven are occupied by patients from the Unified Health System (SUS), the hospital reports.
The high demand is a result of cases caused by influence A, respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, coronavirus, adenovirus, among others.
Among the 12 beds in the adult ICU, where the Coronary Care Unit (Uco) and the General ICU are located, SUS patients occupy eight in the Uco and five in the ICU.
At the hospital, there are still two SUS patients in the emergency room waiting for an ICU bed and one private patient with health insurance.
Cases grow across the state
The increase in cases of respiratory syndromes is affecting the entire state of Paraná. Data from the State Department of Health (Sesa) indicate that the number of occurrences of SRAG in the state this year is 13% higher than last year, in the same period, that is, from January to today, the 2nd.
In 2025, 10.038 cases and 469 deaths of patients hospitalized for SARS were recorded in Paraná.
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