Clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory analysis of hospitalized and fatal COVID-19 cases in the first fully vaccinated municipality in Northeast Brazil

Abstract

Guaramiranga, Ceara State, Brazil, a tourist city 105.5 km from the capital Fortaleza, was a pilot site for vaccinating 100% of its 4,002 adult population with the first dose against COVID-19. The city received 3,328 CoronaVac, 1,685 AstraZeneca, and 174 Pfizer–BioNTech doses (5,187 in total). Vaccination with the first dose occurred from January 20, 2021 to April 1, 2022. This study analyzed hospitalized patients’ epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory characteristics and deaths from COVID-19 in Guaramiranga from March 2020 to December 2022. In total, nine cases required hospitalization, seven of which resulted in death. Patients’ median age at death equaled 87 (64-95) years. Only one was male, and five had incomplete vaccination schedules before their hospitalization. Hypertension and diabetes configured the most frequent comorbidities, whereas common symptoms at admission included fever (four cases), cough (four cases), and dyspnea (five cases). Of these nine patients, 4 received anticoagulants and corticosteroids; 6, oxygen supplementation; 2, oseltamivir; and 3, empirical antibiotic for pneumonia. The mean interval between the last vaccine dose and hospitalization totaled 128 days (28–326; SD 137). These findings highlight incomplete vaccination, a prolonged interval since last doses, comorbidities, and advanced age as key factors associated with severe cases and deaths and emphasize the protective role of high vaccination coverage.