Epidemiological, clinical and immunological analysis of SARS-CoV-2 cases in the metropolitan region of São Paulo: A descriptive study

Epidemiological data on SARS-CoV-2 in Brazil are scarce and we do not know how the virus will behave in Tropical countries, nor in regions with large population concentrations and slums. This project aims to evaluate the epidemiology, clinical and immunological data of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 requiring hospital care in the city of São Paulo and attended at the University Hospital of the University of São Paulo (HU-USP). The HU-USP has different care sectors including a pediatric, outpatient, emergency and intensive unit, serving not only employees and students from the university community, but also receiving low-income patients living in Favela do Rio Pequeno, a community neighboring the Hospital. This type of community, also called subnormal agglomeration, has factors that can facilitate the transmission and dissemination of SARS-CoV-2, since the characteristics of this type of community are high population density, high number of residents in the same household, absence of ideal sanitary conditions, low education conditions and deficient nutritional status. Thus, it is possible that these factors may increase the consequences of infection by facilitating the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, although the influence of these factors on the epidemiology of other respiratory viruses is not clear.