Social inequality and the SARS-CoV-2 in Brazil: How prepared are Brazil’s municipalities in health infrastructure to tackle the disease?

Abstract

The emergence of new diseases such as SARS-CoV-2 is a reflection of the expansion of anthropic activities on natural ecosystems. The first case in Brazil was reported in February and the number of confirmed cases and the death rate is increasing at an alarming rate. In this context, this study aims to answer two main questions: is social inequality related to SARS-CoV-2 confirmed cases and death rate and how distributed is the health infrastructure in Brazil to tackle the SARS-CoV-2 disease, relating directly to the third UN’s Sustainable Development Goal, Good Health and Well-being. To this purpose, the researchers applied the Moran’s Bivariate Local Spatial Autocorrelation Index to assess the relationship between Gini coefficient with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases and the death rate of the disease and the Global Moran Index to assess the distribution of health infrastructure to tackle the disease. We focused on obtaining results that allow decision-making in the health and government sectors. The results display an imbalance between demand and supply, with precarious health infrastructure for people with severe symptoms and increased deaths. SARS-CoV-2 is spreading fast throughout Brazil, and the north and northeast region need special attention due to its lack of health infrastructure. Cartographic products are essential to decision making in epidemiological studies.