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Disparities in COVID-19 mortality in the United States, 2020-2023
Zain Ul Abidin1, Joseph Thirumalareddy2, Jaya S Gupta2
1Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan.
Background:
The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected various demographics and regions in the United States. Understanding disparities in COVID-19 mortality is essential for promoting health equity and guiding future responses.
Objective:
To examine demographic and regional disparities in age-adjusted and proportionate COVID-19 mortality in the US from 2020 to 2023.
Design, Setting, And Participants:
In this repeated cross-sectional study, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) multiple causes of death database were used to analyze death certificates from 2020 to 2023 for COVID-19-related mortality among persons aged ≥ 15 years in the U.S.
Main Outcome Measures:
Age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) per 100,000 persons, Rate ratio (with 95% CI), and proportionate mortality of COVID-19, calculated using descriptive statistics.
Results:
From 2020 to 2023, 1,167,362 (8.91%) of 13,098,787 total deaths in the U.S. were attributed to COVID-19. The AAMR peaked in 2021 at 147.0 (95% CI: 146.6-147.5) per 100,000, with 13.45% of all deaths related to COVID-19, decreasing to 23.1 (2.49%) by 2023. Males exhibited a 1.56-fold higher AAMR than females. Non-Hispanic (NH) American Indian/Alaska Native experienced the highest cumulative AAMR (154), followed by NH Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (124.2) and NH African American (123.9) populations. Hispanics had the highest proportionate mortality, with COVID-19 contributing to 23.55% of all deaths in 2021. The oldest age group (≥ 75 years) had the highest cumulative AAMR, 71.6 times higher compared to the youngest group (15-44 years), whereas the highest proportionate mortality was seen in middle-aged adults (45-74 years). Regionally, the Southern U.S. census region recorded the highest cumulative and annual AAMR, except for the Northeast, in 2020.
Conclusion:
From 2020 to 2023, males, older adults, and racial/ethnic minority groups, notably NH AI/AN, NH NH/PI, NH African American, and Hispanic populations, experienced higher COVID-19 mortality. Regionally, the Southern U.S. Census region had the highest COVID-19 mortality, except for the Northeast, in 2020. These disparities underscore the importance of implementing equitable public health strategies and ensuring preparedness for future health crises.
Clinical Trial Number:
Not applicable.
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