Home mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The study investigated home mortality during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Santa Catarina, using secondary data from the Mobile Emergency Care Service characterizing deaths reported by the teams. Analysis of the data, accessed via the state government’s Transparency Portal, uncovered a rise in deaths attended to by emergency teams in the area. It also highlighted an average increase of 2.16 per 100,000 residents in the mortality rate attributable to non-specific cardiovascular diseases between 2019 and 2022, distinguishing Santa Catarina from the rest of Brazil. This contrast could be linked to inadequate management of risk factors and comorbidities during the pandemic. The findings underscore the need for preventive measures to alleviate adverse impacts on home mortality and enhance healthcare services, particularly concerning equity in the allocation of limited resources amid the pandemic.