This letter discusses the epidemic situation of Covid-19 in Brazil, in the face of the emergence of a new strain, called P1, more transmissible and with possible associated reinfection.  Given the collapse of hospital care in Manaus in January 2021 and the results of three recent preprints, all of which found increased transmissibility of the P.1 variant, we propose some urgent actions: the establishment of genomic surveillance based on multi-step diagnostics, starting with RT-PCR type tests  to sequencing; an immediate effort to identify reinfections associated with the new variant, updating its definition protocols; and studies on the efficacy of currently available vaccines in Brazil in respect to the new variant.  We also propose the improvement of the Brazilian health surveillance system, which should be articulated with genomic surveillance, in order to respond more timely to future emergencies. We call on the public agents involved in health surveillance to share data and information regarding the epidemic in a clear, fast and transparent way. Finally, we propose a greater engagement in inter-institutional cooperation of all those involved in the response and production of knowledge about the pandemic in our country.

Esta carta discute a situação epidêmica da Covid-19 no Brasil frente aoaparecimento de uma nova linhagem, chamada P1, mais transmissível e compossível re-infecção associada. Tendo em vista o colapso do atendimentohospitalar em Manaus em janeiro de 2021 e os resultados de três preprintsrecentes, todos encontrando maior transmissibilidade da variante P.1, propomos algumas ações urgentes: o estabelecimento de uma vigilância genômica baseada em diagnóstico em múltiplos passos, iniciando com os testes do tipo RT-PCR até o sequenciamento; um esforço imediato na identificação de re-infecções associadas à nova variante, atualizando os seus protocolos de definição; e estudos sobre a eficácia das vacinas atualmente disponíveis no Brasil na vigência da nova variante. Propomos, ademais, o aprimoramento do sistema de vigilância em saúde brasileiro, que seja articulado com a vigilância genômica, de forma a responder mais oportunamente a emergências futuras. Chamamos os agentes públicos implicados na vigilância em saúde para que compartilhem dados e informações referentes à epidemia de forma clara, rápida e transparente. Finalmente propomos um maior engajamento na cooperação inter-institucional de todos os envolvidos na resposta e produção de conhecimento sobre a pandemia em nosso país.

Hair snares have been used in North and Central America for a long time in assessment and monitoring studies of several mammalian species. This method can provide a cheap, suitable, and efficient way to monitor mammals because it combines characteristics that are not present in most alternative techniques. However, despite their usefulness, hair snares are rarely used in other parts of the world. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of hair snares and three scent lures (cinnamon, catnip, and vanilla) in the detection of felids in one of the largest remnants of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We performed tests with six captive felid species - Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758), Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758), L. tigrinus (Schreber, 1775), L. wiedii (Schinz, 1821), Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771), and P. yagouaroundi (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1803) - to examine their responses to the attractants, and to correlate those with lure efficiency in the field. The field tests were conducted at the Parque Estadual Pico do Marumbi, state of Paraná, Brazil. Hair traps were placed on seven transects. There were equal numbers of traps with each scent lure, for a total of 1,551 trap-days. In captivity, vanilla provided the greatest response, yet no felids were detected in the field with any of the tested lures, although other species were recorded. Based on the sampling of non-target species, and the comparison with similar studies elsewhere, this study points to a possible caveat of this method when rare species or small populations are concerned. Meanwhile, we believe that improved hair snares could provide important results with several species in the location tested and others.