For about 65% of Brazilians, infection with Covid-19 caused sequelae, which include loss of smell and taste. The data are from a national survey called Covitel, which more broadly assesses risk factors for chronic noncommunicable diseases by telephone.
In all, nine thousand Brazilians, from capitals and cities in the interior of the five regions of Brazil, were interviewed by telephone (landline and mobile).
The questionnaire included questions about general health perception, physical activity, eating habits, mental health and prevalence of arterial hypertension and diabetes, in addition to alcohol and tobacco consumption. Respondents also provided information on gender, age group, race, education and work status.
One in four respondents reported having confirmed Covid-19 infection. Of the total number of infected, 8.2% required hospitalization, two-thirds (64.9%) reported having sequelae, and more than half (55.1%) said they had changed some habit.
Among those infected, 55.7% reported living with someone who had the disease and, of this total, 31.7% claimed to have been infected after the onset of the disease in a family member.
Regarding the types of disease sequelae, loss of smell or taste was reported by 3 out of 10 infected people. Subsequently, muscle problems were reported by 25.5% of respondents; fatigue or tiredness, by 23.6%; and memory loss, by 21.3%. Hair loss was pointed out by 19.3% of respondents and shortness of breath by 18.6%. All other sequelae were reported by less than 15% of the sample.
Health impacts
Between the pre-pandemic period and the 1st quarter of 2022, there was a 91.8% increase among Brazilians who negatively assess their health status, reporting that it is bad or very bad.
The consumption of vegetables and greens fell by 12.5% in the general population. What also decreased was the practice of physical activity, with a reduction of 21.4% in the proportion of people who comply with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The survey also highlights the changes in mental health, with the diagnosis of depression increasing among Brazilian adults. At the same time, other indices that had been improving in recent years, such as smoking, had their positive trend interrupted, remaining stagnant.
The research is developed by Vital Strategies, a global public health organization, and the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), based on the articulation and funding of Umane, with support from the Ibirapitanga Institute and the Brazilian Association of Collective Health (Abrasco).
Chronic non-communicable diseases
In Brazil, about 70% of deaths are caused by consequences of chronic diseases not
diseases (NCDs) and their aggravations.
“Covitel was created to contribute to the construction of knowledge about the influence of Covid-19 on the risk factors that lead to an increase in the prevalence of cancer, diabetes and chronic cardiovascular and respiratory diseases”, explains Thais Junqueira, General Superintendent of Umane.
The survey had a block of questions about Covid-19 and vaccination. Respondents were also asked about their habits in two periods: the pre-Covid-19 pandemic and the first quarter of 2022, when interviews were conducted and vaccines against Covid-19 were already widely available.
“Covitel has shown that the pandemic has hindered the fight against chronic non-communicable diseases in Brazil, increasing some risk behaviors, such as physical inactivity”, reinforces Pedro Hallal, professor at the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel) and one of the research coordinators. .
“The reduction in the practice of at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week happened at the same time that eating habits worsened, with a decrease in the consumption of vegetables, for example. The only positive highlight in relation to food was the reduction in the consumption of soft drinks and artificial juices, which fell by 25.4% in Brazil”, adds Hallal.
According to the survey, between the pre-pandemic period and the 1st quarter of 2022, a 41% increase in the medical diagnosis of depression was recorded. Among women, there was an increase of 39.3%, and among people with higher education (12 years of study or more), 53.8%.
Indicators related to the prevalence of confirmed medical diagnosis for hypertension and diabetes revealed that there was no statistically significant increase between the survey periods. However, the pandemic may have disrupted the timely diagnosis of diseases, experts say.
“This stability may be linked to less access to medical diagnosis in the period of social isolation, when people stopped seeking health services, consequently harming timely treatments for these important health issues”, explains Luciana Sardinha, Technical Advisor of Public Health and Epidemiology at Vital Strategies and one of the study coordinators.
The research points out that the pandemic has worsened health inequalities. Among the 12 indicators that had statistically significant changes for Brazil, the group of people who lost work during the pandemic had the worst results in eight of them.
While 94.4% of people with higher schooling (12 years or more of schooling) had completed the vaccination schedule in the 1st quarter of 2022, only 76.9% of those with less schooling (0 to 8 years of schooling) had taken all the necessary measures. recommended doses.
The researchers say that chronic noncommunicable diseases, to a large extent, are preventable. “Data such as those brought by Covitel are essential for health surveillance, guiding priorities, planning and actions related to public health policies”, says Pedro de Paula, executive director of Vital Strategies.
Source: CNN Brasil
