Social distancing measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic: potential impacts and challenges in Brazil.
Estela Maria Leão de AquinoIsmael Henrique da SilveiraJúlia Moreira PescariniRosana Aquino Guimarães PereiraJaime Almeida de Souza-FilhoAline dos Santos RochaAndrêa Jacqueline Fortes FerreiraAudêncio VictorCamila Silveira Silva TexeiraDaiane Borges MachadoEnny Santos da PaixãoFlavia Jôse Oliveira AlvesFlavia Bulegon PileccoGreice Maria de Souza MenezesLigia GabrielliLuciana LeiteMaria da Conceição Chagas de AlmeidaNaiá OrtelanQeren Hapuk Rodrigues Ferreira FernandesRenzo Joel Flores OrtizRaquel Nunes PalmeiraElzo Pereira Pinto JuniorErika Santos AragãoLuis Eugenio Portela Fernandes de SouzaManoel Barral NettoMaria da Gloria TeixeiraMaurício Lima BarretoMaria Yury Travassos IchiharaRaíza Tourinho dos Reis Silva LimaPublished in: Ciencia & saude coletiva (2020)
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged researchers and policy makers to identify public safety measures forpreventing the collapse of healthcare systems and reducingdeaths. This narrative review summarizes the available evidence on the impact of social distancing measures on the epidemic and discusses the implementation of these measures in Brazil. Articles on the effect of social distancing on COVID-19 were selected from the PubMed, medRXiv and bioRvix databases. Federal and state legislation was analyzed to summarize the strategies implemented in Brazil. Social distancing measures adopted by the population appear effective, particularly when implemented in conjunction with the isolation of cases and quarantining of contacts. Therefore, social distancing measures, and social protection policies to guarantee the sustainability of these measures, should be implemented. To control COVID-19 in Brazil, it is also crucial that epidemiological monitoring is strengthened at all three levels of the Brazilian National Health System (SUS). This includes evaluating and usingsupplementary indicators to monitor the progression of the pandemic and the effect of the control measures, increasing testing capacity, and making disaggregated notificationsand testing resultstransparentand broadly available.