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Burden of COVID-19 during the omicron predominance in Brazil: a nationwide retrospective database study
Jingyan Yang1,2, Guilherme Cordeiro3, Mauricio Longato3
1Pfizer Inc., New York, NY, USA.
Insights
COVID-19 imposed a significant burden on Brazil. This study examined clinical characteristics, vaccine uptake, and healthcare costs during the Omicron wave, revealing substantial resource utilization for managing the pandemic.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Health Economics
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly strained Brazil's healthcare system.
- Understanding the burden during the Omicron variant period is crucial for resource allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze clinical features of COVID-19 cases.
- To evaluate vaccine uptake across different age groups.
- To assess healthcare resource utilization and associated costs during the Omicron predominant period in Brazil.
Main Methods:
- A nationwide retrospective study utilized Brazilian health and demographic databases.
- Identified COVID-19 cases between January and April 2022 (Omicron BA.1/BA.2 wave).
- Analyzed patient demographics, vaccination status, healthcare resource utilization, and costs by age group.
Main Results:
- Over 8.1 million COVID-19 cases were identified.
- Vaccine uptake was low in children under 5 but exceeded 84% for primary doses in adults.
- Hospitalization rates increased with age, particularly in those 75 and older, with significant ICU and mechanical ventilation needs.
- Average daily costs for hospitalization varied, with ICU care being more expensive.
Conclusions:
- The study quantifies the substantial burden of COVID-19 in Brazil.
- Significant healthcare resources are required for managing COVID-19, especially during variant waves.
- Vaccination strategies and resource management are critical for mitigating pandemic impact.
Background:
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has imposed significant burden on Brazil's health system. This study aimed to examine clinical characteristics, overall vaccine uptake, and to assess healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs associated with acute COVID-19 in Brazil during the Omicron predominant period.
Methods:
A nationwide retrospective study was conducted using various Brazilian databases including, COVID-19 related databases, public health systems, and other surveillance/demographic datasets. Individuals with positive COVID-19 test results between January 1 2022 and April 30 2022, during Omicron BA.1/BA.2 wave, were identified. Patients' demographics, vaccine uptake, HCRU and corresponding costs were described by age groups.
Results:
A total of 8,160,715 (3.80%) COVID-19 cases were identified in the study cohort, ranging from 2.43% in <5 years to 62.05% in 19-49 years. The uptake of partial (Dose 1) or full immunization (Dose 2) was less than 0.1% in children aged <5 years, whereas in individuals ≥ 19 years, it exceeded 89.78% for Dose 1 and 84.07% for Dose 2. Overall booster vaccine uptake was 38.06%, which was significantly higher among individuals aged ≥ 65 years, surpassing 74.79%. Regardless of vaccination status, 87.2% cases were symptomatic, and 1.48% were hospitalized due to acute COVID-19 (<5 years: 2.33%, 5-11 years: 0.99%, 12-18 years: 0.32%, 19-49 years: 0.40%; 50-64 years: 1.50%, 65-74 years: 5.43%, and ≥ 75 years: 17.89%). Among the hospitalized patients (n = 120,450), 32.57% were admitted to ICU, of whom 31,283 (79.75%) individuals required mechanical ventilation (MV) support. The average cost per day in normal ward and ICU without MV in public/general hospital settings was $104.36 and $302.81, respectively. While average cost per day in normal ward and ICU with MV was $75.91 and $301.22 respectively.
Conclusions:
This study quantified the burden of COVID-19 in Brazil, suggesting substantial healthcare resources required to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.
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