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. 2024 May 16;16(5):e60403.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.60403. eCollection 2024 May.

Premature Mortality Excess Rates Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Analysis Conducted in Bihor County, Romania

Diana Rahota  1 , Razvan G Rahota  1 , Andreea Camarasan  1 , Mihaela M Muresan  1 , Sorina Magheru  1 , Daniela Rahota  1 , Gineta Andreescu  1 , Florin Maghiar  2 , Ovidiu Pop  1
Affiliations

Premature Mortality Excess Rates Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Analysis Conducted in Bihor County, Romania

Diana Rahota et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Background: Estimating the excess of premature deaths (before the age of 75 years) and Potential Years of Life Lost allows ranking causes of death as an expression of the burden of disease in a population. We statistically analysed the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on excess premature mortality in the total population and specifically, by sexes, compared to the pre-pandemic period, through Potential Years of Life Lost.

Material and method: In this retrospective descriptive observational study, we counted excess of premature mortality in the years 2020, 2021, and 2022 by cause of death (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, digestive diseases, injury, COVID-19, and other causes) and by sexes compared to the period average from 2017-2019, based on the deaths registered in Bihor County (48,948 people).

Results: Premature deaths due to COVID-19 (1,745 people of both sexes) contributed 71.3% to excess mortality, the population being similar for both sexes (71.4% in men and 71.2% in women). The Potential Years of Life Lost/death due to COVID-19 was 11.84 years for both sexes (11.76 years in men and 12.02 years in women). Potential Years of Life Lost/all-cause heath was lower during the pandemic (13.42 years for both sexes, 14.06 years for men and 12.32 years for women) compared to the pre-pandemic period (14.6 years for both sexes, 15.1 years for men and 13.5 years for women).

Conclusions: The excess of premature mortality and decreased Potential Years of Life Lost/death during the pandemic, shows an increase in the proportion of deaths at ages closer to the established limit for premature mortality (75 years) compared to the pre-pandemic period.

Keywords: bihor county; covid-19; excess premature mortality; gross rate; potential years of life lost.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Evolution of premature deaths during pre-COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 pandemic periods
COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019
Figure 2
Figure 2. Gross rate of PYLL in the studied population
PYLL: Potential Years of Life Lost
Figure 3
Figure 3. Pandemic period changes in PYLL/death, mean, both sexes
PYLL: Potential Years of Life Lost, CVD: Cardiovascular disease, COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019
Figure 4
Figure 4. Pandemic period changes in PYLL/death, mean, men
PYLL: Potential Years of Life Lost, CVD: Cardiovascular disease, COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019
Figure 5
Figure 5. Pandemic period changes in PYLL/death, mean, women
PYLL: Potential Years of Life Lost, CVD: Cardiovascular disease, COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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