Examining socioeconomic factors to understand the hospital case-fatality rates of COVID-19 in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Abstract: Understanding differences in hospital case-fatality rates (HCFRs) of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) may help evaluate its severity and the capacity of the healthcare system to reduce mortality. We examined the variability in HCFRs of COVID-19 in relation to spatial inequalities in socioeconomic factors across the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. We found that HCFRs were higher for men and for individuals aged 60 years and older. Our models identified per capita income as a significant factor that is negatively associated with the HCFRs of COVID-19, even after adjusting by age, sex and presence of risk factors.