Spatial analysis of COVID-19 cases and deaths among nursing professionals

to map cases and deaths from COVID-19 in nursing professionals, estimating their incidence and fatality rates by region and federative units, and verify the existence of spatial patterns among the federative units.

ecological study based on the electronic portals Observatório de Enfermagem and Enfermagem em Números, with analysis using the R 4.3.1 software. The incidence and fatality rates were calculated, and choropleth maps were constructed by region and federative units. The Global Moran Index was used to verify spatial autocorrelation.

the study covered 64,451 cases of COVID-19, with a female predominance (85.2%) and a focus on nursing technicians (59.3%), with a higher percentage in the Southeast region (36.3%). Deaths were predominantly female (68%), with the North region standing out (27.9%). The fatality rate in these cases was highest in the North region (4.25%) and in the state of Amazonas (28.47%). The spatial analysis showed regional variations, with autocorrelation in the overall case fatality rate in 2020 and for nursing technicians, without significant autocorrelation for other categories.

the mapping of COVID-19 cases and deaths in nursing revealed regional disparities and variations in incidence and fatality rates, highlighting the need to discuss the quality of health services and the effectiveness of the government response.