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Comparative Study
. 2021 Jul-Aug;35(4):355-357.
doi: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2020.04.001. Epub 2020 Apr 4.

[Case fatality rate of COVID-19: absence of epidemiological pattern]

[Article in Spanish]
Alexandre Medeiros de Figueiredo  1   2 , Antonio Daponte  3   4 , Daniela Cristina Moreira Marculino de Figueiredo  5 , Eugenia Gil-García  6 , Alexandre Kalache  7
Affiliations
Comparative Study

[Case fatality rate of COVID-19: absence of epidemiological pattern]

[Article in Spanish]
Alexandre Medeiros de Figueiredo et al. Gac Sanit. 2021 Jul-Aug.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Objective: Analyze a set of indicators to understand the variability of the evolution and impact of the COVID-19 epidemic in a set of selected countries.

Method: Ecological study of a group of countries with more than 200 reported cases. Demographic variables, health expenditure variables, and variables about characteristics of health services were included as explanatory variables. and incidence, mortality and fatality rates have been analyzed as response variables. In addition, a relative fatality index has been created. Data are from international organizations. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to estimate the magnitude of the associations.

Results: Number of tests and of medical professionals are associated with a higher incidence rate. Mortality and case fatality rate are not associated with demographic, health expenditure, or health services variables.

Conclusion: Differences suggest a general underestimation of the magnitude of the epidemic. Improvement of case identification and effectiveness of epidemiological surveillance systems is necessary.

Objetivo: Analizar un conjunto de indicadores para comprender la variabilidad de la evolución y el impacto de la epidemia de COVID-19.

Método: Estudio ecológico de países con más de 200 casos notificados. Se han analizado variables demográficas, de gasto sanitario y de características de los servicios sanitarios como variables explicativas, y las tasas de incidencia, mortalidad y letalidad como variables respuesta. Se ha creado un índice de letalidad relativa. Los datos proceden de organismos internacionales. La magnitud de las asociaciones se ha estimado mediante el coeficiente de correlación de Spearman.

Resultados: El número de pruebas y el número de profesionales de medicina se asocian a una mayor incidencia. La mortalidad y la letalidad no se asocian con variables demográficas, de gasto sanitario ni de los servicios sanitarios.

Conclusión: Las diferencias sugieren una subestimación generalizada de la magnitud de la epidemia. Es necesario mejorar la identificación de casos y la eficacia de los sistemas de vigilancia epidemiológica.

Keywords: Communicable diseases; Coronavirus; Epidemics; Epidemiological monitoring; Epidemiology.

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References

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