Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (Feb 2021)

The incidence and geographical spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil based on RT-PCR test results

  • Guilherme Loureiro Werneck,
  • Luís Cristóvão Porto,
  • Alexandre Sena,
  • Orlando da Costa Ferreira Junior,
  • Andrea Cony Cavalcanti,
  • Ângela Maria Guimarães Santos,
  • Danielle Angst Secco,
  • Marcio Silva,
  • Diana Mariani,
  • Alexandre Chieppe,
  • Amilcar Tanuri

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0779-2020
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 54

Abstract

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Abstract INTRODUCTION Rio de Janeiro has hardly experienced coronavirus disease. METHODS Here, 87,442 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were reported among Rio de Janeiro residents (March to September 2020). RESULTS Overall, RT-PCR positivity of 44.6% decreased over time towards 20%. Positivity was greater among males (OR=1.22; 95%CI:1.19-1.26); Black (OR=1.10; 95%CI:1.02-1.19), Brown (OR=1.16; 95%CI:1.10-1.22), and indigenous people (OR=2.11; 95%CI:0.88-5.03) compared to Whites and increased with age; with epidemic spread from the capital to inland regions. CONCLUSIONS SARS-CoV-2 keeps spreading in Rio de Janeiro, and reopening of activities may fuel the epidemic.

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