Epidemiological profile of COVID-19 in the Vale do Aço Region

Abstract

Introduction: The infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread rapidly and moved public health teams around the world in search of answers regarding the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the disease, forms of transmission and prevention. According to the World Health Organization, a strategic plan of preparation, preparedness and rapid response consistent at the national, regional and global levels was needed, which allowed the end of the acute phase of the pandemic, as well as the stabilization of the occurrence of new cases. In this sense, it is essential to understand the epidemiology in the different scenarios to propose strategic measures for the prevention and control of the disease at the different levels of care. Objective: The present study aims to describe the characteristics of severe COVID-19 in the Vale do Aço region – Minas Gerais. Methodology: The research was carried out through a cross-sectional study based on the collection and analysis of secondary data, made available by the Regional Health Secretariat of Coronel Fabriciano, located in the municipality of Coronel Fabriciano, Minas Gerais. These data relate to the confirmed cases of severe COVID-19 that occurred between February 2020 and July 2022, in the cities of Coronel Fabriciano, Ipatinga, Santana do Paraíso and Timóteo. After obtaining these data, they were organized and tabulated in a spreadsheet in the Excel® program, where averages, absolute and relative frequency were calculated. Results: The preliminary results showed that there were 6041 cases of severe COVID-19 in the Vale do Aço region, of these, 56% (n=3374) were from the city of Ipatinga. 54% (n=3269) of the sample corresponded to males, and the mean age was 60.6 years. The symptoms presented by the patients were mainly cough (79.6% - n= 4473), dyspnea (80.1% - n=4442) and fever (61.3% - n=3264), such that about 59% (n=3543) of the sample had a pre-existing risk factor. Regarding the evolution of the cases, about 30% of the individuals died. Conclusion: Given this, it was possible to characterize the individuals who were in a serious condition due to the infection in the region, which may be an aid in the creation of measures to combat it.