National case fatality rates of the COVID-19 pandemic

Önder Ergönül, Merve Akyol, Cem Tanrıöver, Henning Tiemeier, Eskild Petersen, Nicola Petrosillo, Mehmet Gönen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objectives: The case fatality rate (CFR) of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) varies significantly between countries. We aimed to describe the associations between health indicators and the national CFRs of COVID-19. Methods: We identified for each country health indicators potentially associated with the national CFRs of COVID-19. We extracted data for 18 variables from international administrative data sources for 34 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). We excluded the collinear variables and examined the 16 variables in multivariable analysis. A dynamic web-based model was developed to analyse and display the associations for the CFRs of COVID-19. We followed the Guideline for Accurate and Transparent Health Estimates Reporting (GATHER). Results: In multivariable analysis, the variables significantly associated with the increased CFRs were percentage of obesity in ages >18 years (β = 3.26; 95%CI = 1.20, 5.33; p 0.003), tuberculosis incidence (β = 3.15; 95%CI = 1.09, 5.22; p 0.004), duration (days) since first death due to COVID-19 (β = 2.89; 95%CI = 0.83, 4.96; p 0.008), and median age (β = 2.83; 95%CI = 0.76, 4.89; p 0.009). The COVID-19 test rate (β = –3.54; 95%CI = –5.60, –1.47; p 0.002), hospital bed density (β = –2.47; 95%CI = –4.54, –0.41; p 0.021), and rural population ratio (β = –2.19; 95%CI = –4.25, –0.13; p 0.039) decreased the CFR. Conclusions: The pandemic hits population-dense cities. Available hospital beds should be increased. Test capacity should be increased to enable more effective diagnostic tests. Older patients and patients with obesity and their caregivers should be warned about a potentially increased risk.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)118-124
Number of pages7
JournalClinical Microbiology and Infection
Volume27
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2021

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • Case fatality rate
  • Epidemiologic
  • Health indicators
  • SARS-CoV-2

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology (medical)
  • Infectious Diseases

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