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Assessing relative COVID-19 mortality: a Swiss population-based study.
Torsten Hothorn1, Matthias Bopp2, Huldrych Günthard3,4
1Institut für Epidemiologie, Biostatistik und Prävention, Universität Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland Torsten.Hothorn@uzh.ch.
BMJ Open
|May 19, 2021
Summary
COVID-19 significantly increases mortality risk, especially for males and younger individuals, by at least eightfold compared to the general population. This study provides a population-adjusted assessment of COVID-19 mortality risk for better understanding its impact.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) severity is often reported using absolute mortality rates.
- A population-adjusted assessment provides a more comprehensive understanding of COVID-19's impact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess COVID-19 mortality relative to the general population's mortality.
- To provide a population-adjusted risk assessment for COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective population-based study comparing COVID-19 patients with the Swiss general population.
- Used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate sex- and age-specific mortality rates.
- Calculated relative mortality by comparing COVID-19 patient mortality to 2018 general population mortality.
Main Results:
- SARS-CoV-2 infection increased the probability of death at least eightfold across all groups.
- Relative mortality risk was highest among males and younger COVID-19 patients.
- Male COVID-19 patients had a 1.21 times higher hazard rate than the general male population.
Conclusions:
- COVID-19 substantially increases mortality risk, with higher relative risks observed in males and younger individuals.
- This population-adjusted analysis offers a clearer perspective on the true impact of COVID-19.
- Findings aid healthcare professionals and policymakers in understanding and managing COVID-19 risks.
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