Epidemiological profile of COVID-19 in the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil, from march 2020 to june 2021

Abstract

Introduction: coronavirus 2019 Disease (COVID-19) was quickly declared a pandemic, and Brazil is facing the most significant health and hospital crisis in its history. From March to June 2021 represented 50.8% of all deaths in the State of Espirito Santo. Objective: to analyze the lethality and mortality by COVID-19 in the State of Espirito Santo from March 2020 to June 2021. Methods: an ecological study was carried out, using a time series of public and official data available on the Health Department of the State of Espirito Santo, Brazil. Were considered information about cases and deaths (from March 2020 to June 2021) of COVID-19. Percentage case-fatality and mortality and incidence rates per 100,000 population were calculated. Time-series analyses were performed using the Prais-Winsten regression model, estimating the Daily Percent Change (DPC), and the trends were classified as flat, increasing, or decreasing. Significant differences were considered when p<0.05. Results: 524,496 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of June 30, 2021, and 11,516 progressed to death. The presence of cardiovascular diseases represents more than half of confirmed comorbidities (54.37%) in patients with COVID-19, followed by diabetes (19.95%) and obesity (9.34%). Men had higher mortality and lethality, especially in older age groups, but the incidence was higher among women. A characteristic profile of two waves was observed; the first wave was extended from March to October 2020 and the second complete wave from November 2020 to June 2021. During the second wave, high peaks of incidence, lethality, and mortality were recorded. At the end of the second wave, the incidence rate remained with increasing trends (p < 0.05), with a DPC of 2.06%. Conclusion: the peak concentration of cases, deaths, and indicators of lethality, mortality evidenced even after one year of pandemic, characterizes the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, still in entire evolution in the State Espirito Santo and Brazil.