Perfil epidemiológico dos acidentes com motocicletas durante a pandemia da COVID-19 nos municípios de Minas Gerais, Brasil

Abstract

Introduction: Motorcycles play an important role as a working tool, due to the speed of mobility and the low cost of acquisition in Brasil. However, the use of these vehicles implies in more than half of the deaths per year caused by traffic accidents. In this sense, it is essential to understand changes in the profile of motorcycle accidents, considering the influence of social isolation measures and the increase in the transport of goods ordered by application, through motorcycles, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: To analyze the epidemiological profile of hospitalizations and deaths from accidents involving motorcyclists in the municipalities of Minas Gerais, comparing 2020, the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, to the 2017-2019 period. Material and Methods: This was a descriptive and quantitative ecological epidemiological study, with information on Hospital Morbidity obtained from the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS), from Data Tabulator (TABNET) and population data, from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The number of deaths and incidence rates of hospitalizations were calculated. Results: In the pandemic, the average incidence of hospitalizations for males in small and large municipalities decreased 5.40% and 2.96%, and in medium-sized ones it increased 6.37%. Furthermore, in the age group from 20 to 29 years, hospitalizations in small, medium and large municipalities had frequencies of 34.96%, 39.72% and 39.21% and deaths of 27.08%, 23.64% and 25, 93% in 2020. Conclusion: Despite the declines in the pandemic, the study showed that males still predominate in hospitalizations due to motorcycle accidents, possibly caused by increased speed and attention diversion when using cell phones during delivery services.