Covid-19 and hospital infrastructure in Araguaia Paraense Region, Brazil

Abstract

The new coronavirus has caused negative impacts worldwide and each region deserves a closer look at its particularities. Thus, the objective of this work is to investigate the evolution of Covid-19, part of the hospital infrastructure and the urban hierarchy in the municipalities of Araguaia Paraense, located in the Southeast of Pará, Brazil. This exploratory research analyzes demographic data, part of the health infrastructures and cases of new coronavirus recorded between March and October 2020 in the municipalities of study area, correlating with the state and national numbers. This photograph allows us to observe the lack of hospital infrastructure in most cities, evidence of underreporting of cases and the dependency relationship between some municipalities. In addition to the loss of human lives, this health crisis shows the asymmetries of this peripheral region of Pará and reinforces the need for expansion of infrastructures by the Unified Health System.