Determinação social da saúde e COVID-19: uma análise sobre mortalidade e internação na cidade de Juiz de Fora

Abstract

The present research aimed to analyze the cases of death and hospitalization due to COVID-19 in Juiz de Fora (JF) in the Zona da Mata region of Minas Gerais, starting from the understanding that the health-disease process is historically and socially determined. In other words, the production and distribution of the disease are related to social reproduction, thus elements of sociostructural relations such as social class, gender, and race/ethnicity interfere with falling ill and dying from COVID-19. Employing a quantitative methodology, an articulation was made between bibliographic materials and secondary data from the Epidemiological Surveillance of Juiz de Fora, seeking elements to reflect on the complexity of reality. As a result, there were reflections on the development of anthropocentric rationality, modern civilization, and their impacts on nature, such as the emergence of new diseases and death. However, it also addressed the formation of the 'Manchester Mineira' (JF) and its inequalities, which manifested throughout the pandemic and consequently in the analyzed secondary data, emphasizing racial inequalities, educational disparities, and access to minimal conditions for the realization of life.