ABSTRACT
Background: The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Africa is still unclear. Objective(s): Study the diseases associated with COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in Luanda, Angola. Method(s): A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,683 patients >=18 years old, treated at the Military Hospital in Luanda, from March 2020 to March 2021. The survey includes sociodemographic and clinical data. The chi-square test, Fisher's exact test or logistic regression were performed and considered significant when p<0.05. Result(s): Patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (39%) were mostly men (64%), mean age 51.2+/-14.7 years. RT PCR positivity was associated with age >=46 years, arterial hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases (aOR:1.75;p<0.001) and Diabetes Mellitus (aOR:1.96;p<0.001) however, HIV infection (aOR:0.26;p<0.001), pulmonary tuberculosis (aOR:0.33;p=0.037) and its sequelae (aOR:0.34;p=0.025) were associated with a protective effect. There were no significant association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and asthma, allergic rhinitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or smoking. Of the 663 positive patients, 14% died. The main comorbidities significantly related to mortality were only malignant diseases (aOR:12.00;p=0.023). There were no significant association between COVID-19 mortality and HIV infection, pulmonary tuberculosis and its sequelae, asthma, allergic rhinitis, COPD, or smoking. Conclusion(s): Infectious diseases were associated with a protective effect for SARS-CoV-2 infection and were not associated with mortality, while chronic respiratory diseases were not associated with infection or mortality by COVID-19. Future studies should be carried out to better understand these aspects.