90 percent of hospitalized Covid patients are unvaccinated

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A survey by the Emílio Ribas Institute in São Paulo showed that nine out of ten patients hospitalized with Covid-19 in the facility were not immunized. The study also showed that the probability of death was 14 times greater among unvaccinated people, compared to those who received two doses or a single dose of the Moderna vaccine.

The analysis was carried out throughout 2021 by epidemiologist Ana Freitas Ribeiro. While just a sample of a single hospital, it corroborates findings from other studies, namely that full vaccination all but eliminates the incidence of severe Covid-19 cases. “When the patient is seriously hospitalized, even if they are vaccinated, the chance of dying is very high. The difference is that vaccinated people usually do not need hospitalization, and that brings relief to the healthcare system. Half of the unvaccinated people who contracted the virus required intensive care,” Dr. Ribeiro told reporters.

Last week, Brazil reached the landmark of 600,000 coronavirus deaths, but the pace of casualties has taken a nosedive since a peak in April, when daily deaths topped the 4,000 mark. Experts credit this improvement largely to the wider availability of vaccines. Since immunizers began being rolled out on January 17, multiple cities faced supply shortages, but Brazilians’ eagerness to vaccinate fast-tracked the process.