Abstract

LEZCANO DE LEGUIZAMON, María Cristina  and  VIVEROS DE FRANCHI, Cynthia. Epidemiological situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Itapúa, Paraguay. Rev. salud publica Parag. [online]. 2023, vol.13, n.2, pp.13-17. ISSN 2307-3349.  https://doi.org/10.18004/rspp.2023.agost.03.

Paraguay reported the first case of COVID-19 in March 2020, an it expanded nationwide rapidly. First cases were reported in the Itapúa department in August of the same year.

This work aims to establish the epidemiological situation of COVID-19 in the Department of Itapúa - Paraguay, during the 2020-2021 period. An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study with an analytical component was carried out; the data source was provided by the General Management of Health Surveillance of the Public Health and Social Welfare Ministry.

There were 29,106 positive COVID-19 cases, with an incidence rate of 47 cases per thousand inhabitants in the department, mainly affecting those over 20 years old and females. 89.7% of the cases were registered in the period from January to July 2021; hospitalizations (81%) were in the 60 years old age group and older. Among the clinical risk factors, chronic heart disease, obesity, diabetes and arterial hypertension (72.6%) were the main ones. The mortality rate was 2 people per thousand inhabitants, while the lethality was 4 patients per 100 patients. A statistically significant relationship was found between the male sex and those over 60 years old according to those hospitalized and to their discharge (p < 0,05).

Keywords : Coronavirus; COVID-19; Epidemiology; Mortality; Lethality; Health Surveillance.

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