The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Reports Involving Arboviruses

Abstract

The pandemic related to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, caused severe impacts in many important sectors for health and the entire society. We can observe that curiously the number of notifications related to arboviruses ended up decreasing as the notification related to COVID-19 increased [1]. Currently, we live in a paradigm where globalization itself offers factors for the incidence of arboviruses. We can consider environmental, socioeconomic factors and, above all, climate change imposed by urbanization and also by the exacerbated consumption of natural resources. Arboviruses are diseases transmitted by the bite of hematophagous arthropods and although many of them present different forms of horizontal transmission and in most cases, present symptoms of a common nature, such as headaches, skin patches, arthralgias, myalgias, in addition to the encephalitogenic potential that these viruses usually present [2]. All these points mentioned are strong factors that contribute to the re-emergence of diseases [3]. One of the most important factors for the increase in the proliferation of arthropod vectors is precisely the tropical position where Brazil is located, with the hot climate and the high amount of rain, it offers favorable reservoirs for these mosquitoes to lay their eggs and carry out their growth and development. We can also point out the socioeconomic factors related to social inequality observed in the country, where economically disadvantaged populations often face problems of basic sanitation and especially of housing close to reservoirs where mosquitoes inhabit and develop, thus increasing the incidence of these diseases [4].