Abstract
At the end of 2019, the outbreak of COVID-19 was reported in Wuhan, China. The outbreak spread quickly to several countries, becoming a public health emergency of international interest. Without a vaccine or antiviral drugs, control measures are necessary to understand the evolution of cases. Here, we report through spatial analysis the spatial pattern of the COVID-19 outbreak. The study site was the State of São Paulo, Brazil, where the first case of the disease was confirmed. We applied the Kernel Density to generate surfaces that indicate where there is higher density of cases and, consequently, greater risk of confirming new cases. The spatial pattern of COVID-19 pandemic could be observed in São Paulo State, in which its metropolitan region standed out with the greatest cases, being classified as a hotspot. In addition, the main highways and airports that connect the capital to the cities with the highest population density were classified as medium density areas by the Kernel Density method.It indicates a gradual expansion from the capital to the interior. Therefore, spatial analyses are fundamental to understand the spread of the virus and its association with other spatial data can be essential to guide control measures.
Highlights
IntroductionAt the end of 2019, the abrupt outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), (caused by Coronavirus 2 of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - SARS-CoV-2) in Wuhan City, China, required mitigation and containment measures that brought to a halt the most populous country in the world
At the end of 2019, the abrupt outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Wuhan City, China, required mitigation and containment measures that brought to a halt the most populous country in the world1-3
The spatial pattern of COVID-19 pandemic could be observed in São Paulo State, in which its metropolitan region standed out with the greatest cases, being classified as a hotspot
Summary
At the end of 2019, the abrupt outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), (caused by Coronavirus 2 of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - SARS-CoV-2) in Wuhan City, China, required mitigation and containment measures that brought to a halt the most populous country in the world. COVID-19 was characterized as an acute respiratory disease that may turn into pneumonia with symptoms such as fever, cough and dyspnea. It has an approximate fatality rate of 2–3%3 and a high potential for contagion, which has led its incidence to increase exponentially. Pandemics are spreads of infectious disease that lead to a rapid raise in the number of deaths. They have been around for centuries and historically reported in different parts of the world, including the recent Ebola spread in West Africa in 2015. By the date of 18th May, 2020, there were more than four million confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide
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