The Family Health Strategy as an indicator for coping with COVID-19 in Santa Catarina, Brazil

ABSTRACT

Objective: to relate the coverage by the FHS and the availability of respirators with the transmission and mortality rate of COVID-19 in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Materials and methods: this is an ecological study, which uses computational models of geospatial analysis on the progress of COVID-19 to the 295 cities in Santa Catarina. The correlation between the FHS coverage and the number of respirators grouped in the mesoregions was calculated with the COVID-19 transmission and mortality rates. Results: the state had low infection rates of 0.07% and mortality of 1.72%, when compared to Brazil. There was an increase in cases in smaller municipalities, indicating the interiorization of the pandemic. There was no correlation between FHS coverage with infection and mortality. However, respirators are associated with lower mortality. Conclusion: regional disparity was found in the presence of respirators in the state's micro-regions, suggesting an imbalance in the quality of care for critically ill patients during the pandemic.