EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19 IN A MUNICIPALITY OF ESPÍRITO SANTO

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate the profile and factors associated with covid-19 in residents of the municipality of Alegre through a household survey between the months of November and December 2021. Methods: An epidemiological study with a cross-sectional design was carried out in the city of Alegre in 2021. The descriptive analysis was carried out using frequency distribution for categorical variables and the median and interquartile range for continuous variables. Associated factors were analyzed using Poisson regression with robust variance. Results: 687 people were interviewed, with 18.8% reporting having contracted covid-19. Infection was more common among women and younger people, especially before vaccination. The most used initial vaccine was Coronavac (42.6%), while the booster dose was predominantly from Pfizer (86.30%). Around a third of vaccine applications resulted in adverse reactions, including fever (56%), body pain (31%) and headache (41%). Self-medication was common, with 76.9% of respondents using medications to treat covid-19, with Azithromycin (26.4%), Ivermectin (24.0%), and Dipyrone (10.8%) being the most cited. Factors such as recent medical appointments and self-medication have been associated with the occurrence of covid-19. Conclusion: the results of this study can help raise awareness among the population about factors that can worsen the disease, highlighting the importance of reinforcing prevention measures.