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Objetivos: analisar quantitativa e comparativamente os óbitos por COVID-19 nos quatro maiores municípios do Norte Fluminense (Campos dos Goytacazes e Macaé) e Baixada Litorânea do Rio de Janeiro (Cabo Frio e Rio das Ostras), situando-os no contexto estadual e nacional. Métodos: usamos dados do Registro Civil e informações demográficas para elaborar um quadro geral da pandemia até a 41a semana epidemiológica sob vários aspectos. Resultados: caracterizamos a evolução da pandemia, diferenciando os padrões conforme localidade. Encontramos uma dependência universal exponencial do coeficiente de mortalidade com a idade e uma maior letalidade na população masculina em relação à feminina, variável entre os municípios. O recorte racial também é examinado e discutido. Determinamos que a COVID-19 representa fração importante das causas de morte em 2020, estando associada à significativo excesso de óbitos em relação à 2019 e à alteração dos padrões de mortalidade por outras causas, com implicações relevantes para a saúde pública. Conclusões: a mortalidade é um indicador efetivo e poderoso para a compreensão da infecção pelo SARS-CoV-2 e sua pandemia, sendo sua análise local um instrumento indispensável para a construção de políticas públicas para o enfrentamento da pandemia e gestão da saúde pública.

The Brazilian strategy to overcome the spread of COVID-19 has been particularly criticized due to the lack of a national coordinating effort and an appropriate testing program. Here, a successful approach to control the spread of COVID-19 transmission is described by the engagement of public (university and governance) and private sectors (hospitals and oil companies) in Macaé, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a city known as the National Oil Capital. In 2020 between the 17th and 38th epidemiological week, over two percent of the 206,728 citizens were subjected to symptom analysis and RT-qPCR testing by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, with positive individuals being notified up to 48 h after swab collection. Geocodification and spatial cluster analysis were used to limit COVID-19 spreading in Macaé. Within the first semester after the outbreak of COVID-19 in Brazil, Macaé recorded 1.8% of fatalities associated with COVID-19 up to the 38th epidemiological week, which was at least five times lower than the state capital (10.6%). Overall, considering the successful experience of this joint effort of private and public engagement in Macaé, our data suggest that the development of a similar strategy countrywise could have contributed to a better control of the COVID-19 spread in Brazil. Quarantine decree by the local administration, comprehensive molecular testing coupled to scientific analysis of COVID-19 spreading, prevented the catastrophic consequences of the pandemic as seen in other populous cities within the state of Rio de Janeiro and elsewhere in Brazil.

Background Brazilian strategy to overcome the spread of COVID-19 has been particularly criticized due to the lack of a national coordinating effort and an appropriate testing program. Here, a successful approach to control the spread of COVID-19 transmission is described by the engagement of public (university and governance) and private sectors (hospitals and oil companies) in Macaé, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a city known as the National Oil Capital. Methods Until the 38th epidemiological week, over two percent of the 206,728 citizens were subjected to symptom analysis and massive RT-qPCR testing by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, with positive individuals being notified up to 48 hours after swab collection. Geocodification and spatial cluster analysis were used to limit COVID-19 spreading in Macaé. Findings: Within the first semester after the outbreak of COVID-19 in Brazil, Macaé recorded 1.8% of fatality associated to COVID-19 up to the 38th epidemiological week, which was at least five times lower than the state capital (10.92%). Overall, considering the successful experience of this joint effort of private and public engagement in Macaé, our data suggest that the development of a similar strategy country wise would have saved over 50,000 lives. Interpretation: Quarantine decree by the local government, molecular massive testing coupled to scientific analysis of COVID-19 spreading prevented the catastrophic consequences of the pandemic as seen in other populous cities within the state of Rio de Janeiro and elsewhere in Brazil.

ObjectiveTo analyze quantitatively and comparatively the deaths by COVID-19 of the four largest municipalities in the North of Rio de Janeiro and Baixada Litorânea of Rio de Janeiro, within the national context.MethodsWe used data from the Civil Registry and demographic information to elaborate a general picture of the pandemic up to the 31st epidemiological week in several aspects: evolution, scope, age, sex, race and impact on other causes of death.ResultsWe characterized the evolution of the pandemic. We found an exponential dependence on the mortality rate by age and a higher lethality in the male population. We determined that COVID-19 represents an important fraction of the causes of death in 2020, being associated with a significant excess of deaths in relation to 2019 and also with the change in mortality patterns due to other causes.ConclusionMortality is an effective and powerful indicator for understanding the infection and its pandemic, and it must be taken into account during the construction of public policies to deal with it.