Timely availability of public data for health management: COVID-19 wave´s analysis

Abstract

The aim of this study is to support health management, with recent and reliable information, during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Notified and confirmed cases and deaths by COVID-19 were evaluated from three public databases. 1)  Data from the Coronavirus Panel of the Ministry of Health, updated daily, show the existence of two epidemic waves. 2)  The Civil Registry Transparency Portal, also with recent data, points to high mortality rates of COVID-19, especially in older age groups. 3)  The cases, reported by the Information System of the Epidemiological Surveillance of Influenza (Sivep-gripe), confirmed mainly by laboratory test, show predominance of men, high age groups, white race/color, residence in urban areas, presence of comorbidities, higher occurrence of hospitalization and lower use of intensive care unit. This last database, in addition to the first wave, records only the first eight epidemiological weeks of the second wave.  The vertiginous rate of increase in cases and deaths in the second wave points to the need for more drastic measures of social distancing, in addition to the expansion of vaccination against COVID-19. The combination of the three banks expands information that can support timely decision-making.