ABSTRACT
The Covid-19 pandemic has negatively disrupted the way our economy and society functions. Nonetheless, there have also been some positive externalities of the pandemic on the environment. This paper aims to evaluate the concentration of nitrogen dioxide in Brazilian metropolitan regions after the policies adopted to confront Covid-19. In terms of methodological approach, the study employs cross-sectional quantitative analyses to compare the period of 36 days, i.e., 12 March to 16 April-before (in 2019) and after (in 2020) the pandemic declaration. The data were obtained from the Sentinel 5-P low-Earth polar satellite concerning Brazilian metropolitan regions (n = 24). Thorough spatial and statistical analyses were undertaken to identify the pre- and during pandemic nitrogen dioxide concentrations. Complementarily, Spearman's correlation test was performed with variables that impact air quality. The study results a fall in nitrogen dioxide concentration levels in 21 of the 24 metropolitan regions which was observed. The Spearman's correlation coefficient between the nitrogen dioxide variation and the vehicle density was 0.485, at a significance level of 0.05. With these findings in mind, the paper advocates that while the pandemic has a significant negative consequence on the health of population globally, a series of measures that result in a new social organization directly interfere in the reduction of air pollution that contributes to the quality of the air we breathe.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the social isolation index and the speed of new cases of Covid-19 in Brazil. METHODS: Quantitative ecological, documentary, descriptive study using secondary data, comparing the period from March 14 to May 1, 2020, carried out with the 27 Brazilian federative units, characterizing the study population. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences-SPSS R software, evaluating the correlation between the social isolation index and the number of new cases of Covid-19, using Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The increase in Covid-19 cases is exponential. There was a significant, negative correlation regarding the social isolation index and the speed of the number of new cases by Pearson's coefficient, which means that as the first one increases, the second one decreases. CONCLUSION: Social isolation measures have significant effects on the rate of coronavirus infection in the population.