Influence of socio-economic indicators and territorial networks at the spatiotemporal spread dynamics of Covid-19 in Brazil

Abstract


 
 
 
 This work aims to provide an overview of the territorial evolution of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) in Brazil using socio-demographic variables, for the time span between February 26, 2020 until January 24, 2021. Socio-demographic indicators, basic sanitation infrastructure data, and epidemiological bulletins were integrated using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) to develop a social vulnerability index (SVI), to estimate the degree of exposure risk of the Brazilian population to COVID-19. The results indicate that the majority of confirmed cases were reported from the main Brazilian capitals, linked to well-developed port and airport modes. In terms of deaths, the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Ceará and Pernambuco were at the top of the ranking. On the contrary, there were some states of the mid-west (Mato Grosso do Sul) and the north (Acre, Amapá, Roraima, Rondônia and Tocantins), that recorded low mortality indexes. The SVI reveals that the states of the north and north-east are the most vulnerable. Regarding the metropolitan areas, it was observed that the main capitals of the north and north-east, with the exception of Salvador, present significantly more critical numbers in terms of dissemination and deaths by COVID-19 than the capitals of the south-southeast, where the SVI is lower. The comparative exception was Santa Catarina state metropolitan areas. Finally, as the virus does not strike everyone in the same way, one of the great challenges is to search for solutions to cope with COVID-19 in the face of very unequal realities. Thus, a reflection on the strategies adopted by the Brazilian government is relevant, while considering the continental dimensions and the diversity of the Brazilian regions, to obtain a better analysis of the more vulnerable populations and social groups.
 
 
 

Ethnic/Racial Disparity in Mortality from COVID-19: Data for the Year 2020 in Brazil

“…Worldwide, in the pre-vaccination period of covid-19 there were a high mortality rate in COVID-19 patients aged ≥ 65 years old, present body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 kg/m 2 , smokers, as well as, among those that were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and immunosuppressed (Rothana & Byrareddy, 2020 ; Souch & Cossman, 2021 ). In addition, COVID-19 seems to affect deeply vulnerable groups, such as those economic and socially disadvantaged, especially in developing countries (Da Guia Albuquerque et al, 2021 ). The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study reported that in the US black population may be disproportionately affected by COVID-19 (Garg et al, 2020 ).…”

Disparidade Étnico-racial e Mortalidade pela Covid-19: Estudo de Caso com duas Cidades de Médio Porte

“…Em países fortemente caracterizados por imensas disparidades sociais, verifica-se que os impactos da pandemia do novo Coronavírus têm se expressado de modo ainda mais nítido. Um recente estudo conduzido por Albuquerque et al (2021) No ambiente diverso ao qual o mundo vive atualmente, os jeitos de viver compreendem-se enviesados em função da enorme ausência de estabilidade socioeconômica expressada a partir da perda de empregos e, consequentemente, de salários; além da hipossuficiência financeira, de moradia, de infraestrutura e de acesso à saúde (ARAÚJO et al, 2020). Sendo assim, vê-se que todos esses pontos indicativos ressaltam os maiores índices de mortalidade dos povos que vivem no contexto da vulnerabilidade (ARAÚJO et al, 2020) -assim, subentende-se que os indivíduos pretos detêm esses efeitos mórbidos.…”