Márcia Fernandes Hospitalized in Semi-Intensive Care With RSV and Bacterial Infection

Overview

• Márcia Fernandes, 74, remains in semi-intensive care in São Paulo after doctors identified respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and a concurrent bacterial infection, a diagnosis she and her son described in a video posted Thursday.
• The hospital team started two intravenous antibiotics, inhalation therapy, and continuous medication, and she now reports gradual relief after days of chest pain, shortness of breath, and intense body aches.
• Her preexisting rheumatic autoimmune disease worsened the infection by lowering her defenses, a pattern Brazil’s Health Ministry says raises risks for older adults and people with weakened immunity.
• From her bed she said she keeps working and urged followers to get a flu shot, warning that RSV can be dangerous for small children and vulnerable people.
• Recent medical history adds context to her vulnerability, including an autoimmune flare treated in February 2026 and surgery in February 2025 to remove a carotid artery aneurysm.