Casos e óbitos por COVID-19 e tabagismo nas capitais e regiões brasileiras: estudo ecológico

Abstract

Smoking is a chronic condition that negatively impacts lung health and may increase the risk of aggravation in patients with COVID-19. The study sought to analyze the relationship between the rates of cases and deaths caused by COVID-19 and the percentage of smokers in Brazilian capitals. A cross-sectional and analytical research was carried out, with data relating smoking and cases/deaths by COVID-19, from the databases of the Surveillance of Risk Factors and Protection for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey (VIGITEL) 2019) and Coronavirus Panel of the Health Surveillance Department. Bivariate analyzes showed positive correlations between female smokers and the coefficient of cases accumulated by COVID-19 in the capitals of the Midwest region (r=0.957, p=0.043) and also among male smokers and coefficient of deaths by COVID-19, in the capitals of the Northeast (r=0.706; p=0.034). Expanded studies are needed to identify the profile of smokers affected by COVID-19 and its evolution, since the relationship between smoking and COVID-19 indicated a worse prognosis in the Northeast region. This study may bring contributions to support the verification of the prognosis of COVID-19 in smokers, favoring a closer look at the smoker affected by this infection, in order to seek alternatives to reduce unfavorable clinical outcomes.