Initial analysis of the spatial correlation between the incidence of COVID-19 and human development in the municipalities of the state of Ceará, in Brazil

Jacques Antonio Cavalcante Maciel; Igor Iuco  Castro-Silva; Mariana Ramalho de  Farias

doi:10.1590/1980-549720200057

##article.authors##

Jacques Antonio Cavalcante Maciel Universidade Federal do Ceará https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2293-8433
Igor Iuco Castro-Silva Universidade Federal do Ceará
Mariana Ramalho de Farias Universidade Federal do Ceará

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-549720200057

Keywords:

Coronavirus, SARS virus, Development indicators, Geographic mapping

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the spatial distribution of the incidence of COVID-19 and its correlation with the municipal human development index (MHDI) of the municipalities of Ceará. Methods: This is an ecological study with data recovered from the 15^th to the 19^th epidemiological week of the year 2020 using the MHDI and the COVID-19 incidence coefficient for each municipality as variables. The univariate and the bivariate spatial correlation were analyzed using the TerraView and GeoDa software. Results: The incidence of COVID-19 has spatial dependence with moderate positive correlation and the formation of high-high clusters located in the metropolitan region of Fortaleza and municipalities in the North region. The lowest incidence was a low-low cluster in the South and West regions. There was a positive bivariate correlation between MHDI and the incidence of COVID-19 with the formation of a cluster in the metropolitan region of Fortaleza. Conclusion: The uneven mapping of COVID-19 and its relationship with MHDI in Ceará can contribute with actions for the regional fight against the pandemic.