Epidemiological aspects of COVID-19 on nursing: a retrospective analysis

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological aspects of COVID-19 in Brazilian nursing professionals. Methodology: Cross-sectional and quantitative study, based on secondary data in the public domain, from the Nursing Observatory of the Federal Nursing Council. Data were collected in November 2020 and imported into the STATA version 12.0 program. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed, with absolute numbers and frequency measures. Results and discussion: 38,628 Nursing professionals with suspected COVID-19 were notified, 52.4% with confirmed diagnosis and a predominance of technicians (62.9%). The prevalent age group among deaths was higher (41 to 60 years) than among those infected (31 to 40 years), while the female gender was quantitatively dominant in both, despite the higher lethality rate among men (4.5%). Mortality / 1,000 professionals was high in Amapá, Acre, Mato Grosso and Rondônia. The peak in the daily number of new cases (525) occurred in July 2020, while the number of deaths (18) in September, a month in which there was a downward trend in the variation in the growth rate of the moving average between the new cases, the which is not evident in the variable of the moving average between deaths. This scenario has a strong relationship with the precarious working conditions, lack of PPE, physical and emotional overload and the outcomes of the fast hiring and qualification for the management of patients with COVID-19. Conclusion: Understanding the situation of vulnerability experienced by these workers in the pandemic context reveals the need to target effective health actions aimed at this group.