Epidemic trends of COVID-19 in 10 countries compared with Turkey

The outbreak rapidly spread to more than 200 countries and led to millions of confirmed cases as well as thousands of deaths worldwide. This makes a serious threat to the world in terms of public health. The present study aimed to compare the COVID-19 epidemic parameters in Turkey with the top ten countries that reported the highest number of confirmed cases worldwide on April 25, 2020. Plus, it might provide better insight into the efficacy of national interventions on the course of the disease by measuring the case-fatality rate.

A detailed search of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering official websites, and announcements were conducted between January 22 and April 25, 2020. COVID-19 related datasets for the distribution of the infection on each reported day were obtained.

Although the growth rate sharply increased by more than 1.2% in the late January 2020, the cumulative number of cases remained below 1500 around the world. The epidemic growth curve in Turkey was very similar to the US and Italy during the period. The case-fatality rate in Turkey was 2.51%, which below the countries with the most cases, except Russia, and the recovery-death ratio appeared to be at a moderate level among these countries.

Since there are no standard treatments for the disease, it is important to avoid infection or further spreading. Decision-makers should adopt a series of measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, using national surveillance systems.