Dengue Behavior in The Face of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

This study analyzes, describes, and differentiates between the measurement of Dengue in Minas Gerais, Brazil, between January 2018 and April 2021, and Covid-19 data reported between March 2020 and April 2021. An epidemiological, observational, retrospective, descriptive, and analytical study was carried out to assess correlations between combat and coping measures in the public health sector for each disease. For sample collection, the DATASUS and TABNET platforms were used, along with secondary data on reported cases of Dengue and Covid-19, from 2018 to 2021 in the state of Minas Gerais. For storage, tabulation, statistical analysis of data and graphic construction, Excel version 2021 and Google spreadsheet software were used. Dengue incidence from 2018 to 2021 was compared with the years 2019 to 2020 against the backdrop of the emergence and incidence of Covid-19. Our study reveals a sharp drop in the epidemic curve for Dengue cases in 2020 compared to the previous year, while cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection grew exponentially. After accounting for seasonal factors of Dengue increase and impact, such as precipitation, we conclude that for the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, the hypothesis of overlap between cases of Dengue and Covid-19 is consistent for the years studied. However, research on the subject in other countries over a longer timeframe would be relevant to verify such an occurrence.