OBJECTIVE:

To describe mortality due to sudden death in the state of Pará before and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic using a time-series approach.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A descriptive analysis was conducted using epidemiological data on deaths attributed to sudden death recorded in the state of Pará during the pre- and post-pandemic periods. Data were extracted from the official databases of the Mortality Information System (SIM), totaling 1,476 sudden death cases during the study period. The information was organized into time series and statistically analyzed to identify variations in mortality following the pandemic event associated with infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

RESULTS:

An increase in the incidence of sudden death was observed during the post-pandemic period, with a higher prevalence among individuals with a history of cardiovascular disease. Among men, the number of cases increased by nearly 253%. Among women, the increase reached 266%. Although changes in mortality patterns were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings should be interpreted with caution because, due to the ecological fallacy, it is not possible to determine whether the individuals contributing to the excess sudden deaths observed in the post-pandemic period had actually been infected with SARS-CoV-2.

CONCLUSION:

A significant increase in the number of sudden deaths was observed in Pará following the COVID-19 pandemic period, highlighting the need for further studies to better understand the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms and to develop preventive strategies aimed at reducing the risk of post-infection cardiovascular complications.