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Título

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON VIRAL ENCEPHALITIS CASES IN BRAZIL

Resumo

Introduction: At the imminence of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was found that the pathogen has an infectious potential of neuroinvasion and neurotropism, resulting in high rates of morbidity and mortality. In this context, its association with neurological conditions emerges, such as viral encephalitis, whose manifestation is mediated by a diffuse inflammatory process and affects mainly the extremes of age and immunosuppressed patients. In addition, the etiology also covers enteroviruses, arboviruses, herpesviruses and adenovirus. Objective: To verify if there was an increase in the diagnosis of viral encephalitis during the pandemic. Method: This is an analytical observational ecological study based on data on viral encephalitis obtained from the Hospital Morbidity System (SIH/SUS) of DATASUS. The period analyzed was from March 2018 to February 2022, using the following variables: Year/month of processing, age group 2 and Hospitalizations. Microsoft Excel version 2204 was also used to analyze the results, using graphs. Results: During the study period, 7754 cases of hospitalization were recorded, of which 4578 occurred in the period before the pandemic and 3176 during the pandemic, showing a reduction of 18%. In this context, there was a prevalence in the age group of 0-9 years, with 1581 and 1124 cases in the pre- and post-pandemic period, respectively. Thus, it is inferred that the observed results contradict what was expected, as they portray a reduction in cases. Such a reduction may be related to the adoption of biosecurity measures to mitigate the contagion and prevention of COVID-19, also acting to reduce the spread of other viruses that can cause the pathology. In addition, broad-spectrum vaccination for SARS-CoV-2, which began in January 2021 in Brazil, and other immunization campaigns have a direct impact on reducing viral encephalitis. Conclusion: It was found that there was a reduction in the number of cases of viral encephalitis during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. This was possibly due to biosecurity measures and widespread vaccination. In addition, age is an important determinant in the diagnostic profile of viral encephalitis in the country. However, the lack of data on Coronavirus viral encephalitis and the possibility of underdiagnosis and underreporting were limiting. In this regard, there is a lack of studies at the national level that better characterize the relationship of the virus as a potential agent of the pathology in question.

Palavras Chave

Epidemiology. COVID-19. Viral encephalitis.

Área

Neuroinfecção