Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic in other countries has affected with a greater number of cases and deaths in areas of higher density and poverty, however, this analysis has not been determined in the Metropolitan Region (MR) of Chile . OBJECTIVE: Identify if there is a relationship between density and density-poverty with confirmed cases of coronavirus in the MR. METHOD: The association between density, poverty and density-poverty with the cases confirmed by odds ratio is evaluated; Study type and design: observational, retrospective; Population: population of the MR, 8.125.072 inhabitants; Cases: inhabitants of the MR confirmed with coronavirus from 03.03.20 to 04.20.20; Controls: inhabitants of the MR not confirmed with coronavirus from 03.03.20 to 04.20.20; Study time period: 03/03/20 to 04/20/20; Variables: dependent variable: number of confirmed cases with coronavirus in the MR and unconfirmed population with coronavirus; independent variable 1: population density of municipalities in the metropolitan region, independent variable 2: poverty index of municipalities in the MR and independent variable 3: poverty index and population density of municipalities in the MR; Outcomes: confirmed patients with coronavirus are associated with the areas with the highest density and with the highest poverty-density; Method used to determine this association: probability ratio (OR). RESULTS: The ratio between confirmed and unconfirmed cases with coronavirus on MR is 1,3 times higher in inhabitants living at a density >5.349 inhab/km(2) with a 95% CI: 1,2720–1,4140, p < 0,0001 and 1,2 times higher in the inhabitants living at a density >11.444 inhab/km(2) with a 95% CI: 1,1494-1,3019, p < 0,0001; the ratio between confirmed and unconfirmed cases with coronavirus on MR is 1,46 times higher in inhabitants who have a poverty <10,41% and live at a density >11,444 inhab/km(2) with a 95% CI: 1,3137-1,6225, p < 0.0001 and 1,58 times higher in the inhabitants who live in a density >5,349 inhab/km(2) and have a poverty >10,41% with a 95% CI: 1,3279-1,8825, p < 0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: In the Metropolitan Region there is an association between the number of confirmed cases with coronavirus with a higher population density and a higher poverty-density.