Percepções e práticas de indivíduos com doenças crônicas não transmissíveis durante a pandemia SARS-COV-2 atendidas por equipe da Estratégia saúde da Família de Minas Gerais

Abstract

Covid-19 was initially detected in China in December 2019. The infection by this virus took on worldwide proportions until it was declared a pandemic in March 2020. The pandemic led to impacts not only on physical health, but also on the social, economic, emotional and cultural aspects. People with chronic noncommunicable diseases are among those who are at greater risk of aggravating the disease, not only because of preexisting comorbidities, but also because of the reduction in health care in non-urgent situations caused by the pandemic. Chronic noncommunicable diseases are important causes of death in Brazil, especially premature deaths. The means of preventing and controlling these diseases are already well established and a small number of modifiable risk factors are responsible for the vast majority of deaths from these diseases. Access to scheduled activities at Basic Health Units – UBSs – is able to reduce complications and, consequently, also the vulnerability to the effects of covid19. The present study aimed to identify whether the health care of people with chronic diseases was impaired due to the covid-19 pandemic. Following the guidelines of Bardin (2011), the research had a qualitative approach, based on the analysis of the interviews collected in the Multicentric Project “Prevention and control of covid-19: multicentric study on the perception and practices in daily life of medical-scientific guidelines by the population of the territories covered by Primary Health Care”. This project includes people assisted at the Pirineus Basic Health Unit, in the municipality of Leopoldina-MG. The excerpt considered for the collection of interviews included patients with chronic diseases. It was found that patients with chronic noncommunicable diseases suffered damage to their health due to contamination by covid-19 and the consequences of the pandemic. There was a decrease in the frequency and offer of services for this population. Measures were adopted to reduce contamination by covid-19 in Primary Health Care. As a result of the research, it is suggested to strengthen Primary Care and to organize the flows of the Health Care Network to minimize the damage caused by the covid-19 pandemic.