Covid Cases Rise in Brazil as More Transmissible XFG Variant Becomes Dominant - 12/11/2026 - Science and Health - Folha de S.Paulo

Covid cases are rising in Brazil, with the XFG variant, an Omicron subvariant first identified in the country in 2025, becoming dominant. According to the Health Ministry's Influenza-Like Illness Surveillance report, 118,851 cases were reported in 2026 through October 31. Of these, 3,479 developed into severe cases and 437 people died. The figures are preliminary and well below those recorded during the same period last year, when there were 367,775 cases and 1,326 deaths. The disease remains classified as low risk.

XFG and its lineages account for around 90% of sequences analyzed this year. There is no evidence that it causes more severe illness, but the variant has greater transmission potential. Symptoms include sore throat, nasal congestion, hoarseness and low-grade fever or a feeling of feverishness. An increase in cases has been observed in 17 states and the Federal District over the past six weeks.

Older adults, pregnant women, young children, immunocompromised people and those with underlying health conditions may develop severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Among severe cases, 40.9% occurred in people aged 65 or older, and 68.1% of deaths were in this age group. Infectious disease specialist Rita Medeiros, of the SBI (Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases), says patients typically begin to worsen from the fifth day of symptoms. High-risk patients should seek medical care to assess whether to use the antiviral Paxlovid, provided by the SUS (Brazil's public healthcare system).

According to the doctor, underreporting, mainly due to pharmacy tests, means official statistics reflect only a fraction of cases. Vaccination is the best protection against complications.

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