Associação entre o pertencimento a grupos de risco para COVID-19 e o estado emocional autorreferido de cidadãos brasileiros durante a pandemia de 2020-2021: um estudo transversal

Abstract

Introduction: In early 2020, the world began to experience impacts of different magnitudes at different levels and activities of human society, due to the occurrence of the pandemic of a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which causes a systemic disease, now recognized as COVID-19. In this context, the acquisition and interpretation of epidemiological data, many of a nature never worked on before, became essential for preventive decision-making and for containing the spread of the disease, as well as for clarifying the real impacts of the pandemic. Objective: To investigate whether there is a correlation between being in a risk group for severe COVID-19 and having some impairment in emotional status related to pandemics. Methodology: This study is characterized as observational, cross-sectional, exploratory. Data were obtained from a questionnaire distributed by social networks to all Brazilian states from April 2020. Among more than 60,000 respondents, 45,025 informed if they are part of any risk group for serious disease and if they present any it harms your emotional state. Correlation between these datasets were carried out using linear autocorrelograms. All data were organized, cleaned and worked using the statistical computer program R. Results: The results show that, in general, there is no significant correlation between being from a risk group and having an impaired emotional state, regardless of whether the citizen is an adult or elderly, female, male or other. Conclusion: We conclude that the impact on mental health generally related to the pandemic must be associated with factors other than the presence of risk factors for serious illness.