Coping with COVID-19 in an international border region: health and economy

descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in the western region of Paraná, Brazil, using an electronic form created using Google^® forms. A sample of 2,510 people was addressed. Descriptive analysis and the Chi-square test were performed, with a level of significance established at 5%. This public opinion survey, addressing unidentified participants, is in accordance with Resolutions 466/2012 and 510/2016.

Results:

the participants were 41.5 years old on average, most were women and worked in the education sector; 41.9% reported that the closing of borders/commercial businesses negatively influenced income; 17.7% reported the possibility of losing their jobs; 89.0% consider that a larger number of people would be sick if the borders/commercial had not been closed; 63.7% believe the health services are not prepared to deal with the pandemic; 74.9% realize that the Brazilian Unified Health System may not have sufficient service capacity; 63.4% reported anxiety; and 75.6% of commercial workers will experience changes in their income level.

Conclusion:

the closing of international borders and commercial businesses was related to a perception of physical and mental changes, job loss, and decreased income.

Descriptors:
Pandemics; Covid-19; Social Isolation; Border Areas; Public Health; Border Health

Variables (n=2,510)	N	%	P-value
Sex			<0.001
Women	1700	67.7
Men	786	31.3
Others	4	0.2
Did not answer	20	0.8
Marital Status			<0.001
Married	1285	57.1
Single	608	27.0
Stable union	290	13.0
Widowed	37	1.6
Other	30	1.3
Children			<0.001
Yes	1743	69.4
No	767	30.6
Employment Sector			<0.001
Commerce	324	12.9
Homemaker	130	5.2
Education (public/private)	492	19.6
Student	141	5.6
Public employee	431	17.2
Health	457	18.2
Tourism	441	3.1
Other	78	17.6
Did not answer	16	0.6

Variables (n=2,510)	n	%	P-value
Did the border closure, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, affect, or will affect your family income?			<0.001
No	1452	57.9
Yes	1052	41.9
Did not answer	6	0.2
Will you have enough money this month to buy food?			<0.001
No	2120	84.5
Yes	385	15.3
Did not answer	5	0.2
Will you have enough money to pay water, electricity, telephone and/or internet bills?			<0.001
No	1876	74.8
Yes	631	25.1
Did not answer	3	0.1
Are you at the risk of losing your job because of social isolation (commercial business closure, stay-at-home orders)?			<0.001
No	1782	71.0
Yes	446	17.8
I was unemployed before social isolation	205	8.1
I have already lost my job because of social isolation	65	2.6
Did not answer	12	0.5
Tourism and economic activities currently affected by social isolation will continue to be affected even after the border and commercial are opened?			<0.001
No	123	4.9
Yes	2380	94.8
Did not answer	7	0.3

Variables (n=2.510)	N	%	P
Is border closure a useful measure to prevent people from becoming sick with COVID-19?			<0.001
No	226	9.0
Yes	2279	90.8
Did not answer	5	0.2
Is the closing of commercial businesses in your city a useful measure to prevent people from becoming sick with COVID-19?			<0.001
No	496	19.8
Yes	2003	79.8
Did not answer	11	0.4
Is the closing of schools and universities a useful measure to prevent people from becoming sick with COVID-19?			<0.001
No	200	8.00
Yes	2298	91.5
Did not answer	12	0.5
Are the health services prepared to provide care to the population in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic?			<0.001
No	1599	63.7
Yes	901	35.9
Did not answer	10	0.4
Are the public health services (SUS) still providing care to the population regarding other health problems (for instance, dengue, hypertension, and urgent/emergence care, among others)?			<0.001
No	915	36.4
Yes	1583	63.1
Did not answer	12	0.5
Is your city at the risk of losing the capacity to provide care to people with symptoms and/or infected with COVID-19?			<0.001
No	614	24.5
Yes	1881	74.9
Did not answer	15	0.6

Variables (n=2,510)	n	%	P-value
Did social isolation affect your mood?			<0.001
No	1137	45.3
Yes	1365	54.4
Did not answer	8	0.3
Did social isolation cause the emergence of body pain you had not previously experienced?			<0.001
No	1692	67.4
Yes	811	32.3
Did not answer	7	0.3
Did social isolation change your mental state, causing sadness?			<0.001
No	1326	52.8
Yes	1176	46.9
Did not answer	8	0.3
Did social isolation change your mental state, causing anxiety?			<0.001
No	906	36.1
Yes	1593	63.5
Did not answer	11	0.4
Would the number of individuals infected with the COVID-19 be greater if the borders and commercial businesses had not been closed?			<0.001
No	242	9.6
Yes	2254	89.8
Did not answer	14	0.6

Variables	Commerce/tourism		Public servers/ Education ^† † Public servers/Education = Public employees and workers from the education sector (private and public);		Health workers^‡ ‡ Health workers = Health workers from the public or private sectors;		Others^§ § Others = Homemakers, students, other occupations		P-value
Variables	n	%	N	%	n	%	n	%	P-value
Did the border closure impact your family income? (n=2,488)									<0.001
Yes	303	75.6	273	29.6	169	37.0	298	42.0
No	98	24.4	648	70.4	288	63.0	411	58.0
Border closure is a useful measure to prevent people from becoming sick? (n=2.489)									<0.001
Yes	327	81.5	881	95.7	423	92.6	633	89.2
No	74	18.5	40	4.3	34	7.4	77	10.8
Are the health services prepared to provide care to the population in the context of the coronavirus? (n =2,484)									0.261
Yes	159	39.7	314	34.2	171	37.4	252	64.5
No	242	60.3	603	65.8	286	62.6	457	35.5
Is the SUS in your city at the risk of losing its capacity to care for people with symptoms and/or infected with the COVID-19? (n=2,479)									<0.001
No	113	28.2	181	19.7	117	25.7	198	28.1
Yes	288	71.8	736	80.3	339	74.3	507	71.9
Social isolation caused the onset of body pain you have not experienced before? (n=2,487)									<0.001
No	237	59.1	655	71.2	308	67.5	481	67.7
Yes	164	40.9	265	28.8	148	32.5	229	32.3
Did social isolation change your mental state, causing anxiety? (n=2,483)									<0.001
No	105	26.4	368	40.0	164	36.0	263	37.1
Yes	293	73.6	552	60.0	292	64.0	446	62.9
Would the number of individuals infected by the coronavirus be higher if the border and commercial businesses had not been closed? (n=2,480)									<0.001
No	77	19.3	44	4.8	33	7.2	85	12.0
Yes	321	80.7	875	95.2	424	92.8	621	88.0

Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto / Universidade de São Paulo Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, 14040-902 Ribeirão Preto SP Brazil, Tel.: +55 (16) 3315-3451 / 3315-4407 - Ribeirão Preto - SP - Brazil
E-mail: rlae@eerp.usp.br

Acompanhe os números deste periódico no seu leitor de RSS

[1] Corresponding author: Reinaldo Antonio Silva-Sobrinho E-mail: reisobrinho@yahoo.com.br

Brasil

Brasil

Coping with COVID-19 in an international border region: health and economy* * This article refers to the call “COVID-19 in the Global Health Context”.

Objective:

Method:

Results:

Conclusion:

Coping with COVID-19 in an international border region: health and economy^* * This article refers to the call “COVID-19 in the Global Health Context”.