Fatores associados à mortalidade por Covid-19 na região metropolitana do Vale do aço

Abstract

When the first positive cases appeared, in December 2019, the infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, caused researchers worldwide to mobilize in search of answers related to the epidemiology and control of the new disease, COVID-19. The rapid viral spread caused the problem to become a public health emergency, which was subsequently recognized by the World Health Organization as a pandemic. Three years after its discovery, knowledge about COVID-19 still has several gaps. Considering the importance of a better understanding of the factors related to the severity and outcome of the disease, the present study aimed to analyze the factors associated with mortality from COVID-19 in the Vale do Aço region - Minas Gerais, as well as to carry out geoprocessing of cases by region. For this, a cross-sectional study was carried out through the collection and analysis of secondary data, provided by the Regional Health Department of Coronel Fabriciano, located in the municipality of Coronel Fabriciano, in Minas Gerais. Such data refer to confirmed serious cases of COVID-19, which occurred between February 2020 and July 2022, in the cities of Coronel Fabriciano, Ipatinga, Santana do Paraíso and Timóteo. The information was collected through the Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance Information System, where all cases that died, as well as those with severe acute respiratory syndrome, are entered. After obtaining these data, they were organized and tabulated in a spreadsheet in the Excel® program, later analysis of associations and multivariate analysis between mortality from COVID-19 and sociodemographic and clinical factors were carried out, through the statistical program IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 22.0. In addition, to demonstrate the data by city and by neighborhood, techniques were used to collect, process and display information referenced in a given geographic space, called geoprocessing. 6,041 cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome due to COVID-19 were confirmed in the Vale do Aço region. 54.1% of the sample consisted of males, and 56.3% were elderly (individuals over 60 years old). For over 31.4% had up to 1 risk factor. There was a high chance of death for elderly individuals, who were hospitalized in public hospitals, who had a greater number of symptoms, as well as a preexisting risk factor. In addition, cough and sore throat were associated with a lower chance of death, however, the same increased for individuals who manifested dyspnea, chest discomfort and low saturation. Furthermore, cases that required any type of ventilatory support were also more likely to have a negative outcome. Regarding geoprocessing, a concentration of cases was observed in the municipality of Ipatinga, more specifically in its peripheral neighborhoods, where cases that evolved to death remained concentrated. Through statistical association analyzes and georeferencing, it was possible to better understand the possible risks of aggravation by infection with the new coronavirus, as well as the association of sociodemographic and clinical factors and the areas of greatest vulnerability in a given region and thus contribute to health services. surveillance and control.