The dynamic and structure of mortality from respiratory diseases and COVID-19 in the Russian Federation for 2019–2021

The aim of the study is to analyze the nosological structure and dynamics of mortality from respiratory diseases and COVID-19 in 82 regions of the Russian Federation for the period of 2019–21. Material and methods. The data provided by Russian Statistics Committee for 2019–2021 on the average annual population and the number of deaths due to causes related to the diseases of the respiratory system (DRS (class J00–J99) and new coronavirus infection (U07.1–U07.2 )is used. Standardized death rate (SDR) has been calculated, regional averages for 82 regions of Russia have been determined. Results. For the period of 2019–2021, the increase in the average regional values of SDR from DRS was +34.4 ± 23.4 per 100 thousand people (from 36.6 ± 17.9 to 71.0 ± 39.3 per 100 thousand people). A significant regional variability of SDR was revealed (the maximum SDR differed from the minimum by 17 times in 2019 and 20 times in 2020). The contribution of DRS to all-cause mortality ranged from low of 1.2% in 2019 to high of 13.4% in 2021. The greatest contribution to the structure of DRS is made by other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (ICD-10 codes J42, J41, J44, taken into account in one line in the BNMC), pneumonia without specifying the pathogen, bacterial and viral pneumonia. In 2021, compared to 2019, the largest increase in SDR was recorded for the following nosologies: pneumonia without pathogen specification (+17.9 ± 8.47), viral pneumonia (+11.71 ± 1.74), bacterial pneumonia (+2, 2 ± 2.73). In 2021, compared to 2020, the increase in SDR from COVID-19 was 238.1% (222.41 ± 6.38 vs 65.79 ± 3.22). In 2020, SDR from COVID-19 was higher than SDR from DRS in 49 regions, in 2021 — in 77 regions. A negative correlation was detected between SDR from DRS and SDR from COVID-19 (−0.47; p < 0.0001). Conclusions. Increase in DRS deaths in 2020 and 2021 compared to 2019, mainly due to pneumonia, is caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and significant variability in regional SDRs is probably due not only to the severity of the pathology, but also to the characteristic features of causes of death coding.

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