Tweet
Infection
. 2023 Jan 24.
doi: 10.1007/s15010-023-01982-4. Online ahead of print.
COVID-19-related deaths: a 2-year inter-wave comparison of mortality data from Germany
Benedikt M J Lampl 1 2 , Bernhard Edenharter 3 , Michael F Leitzmann 4 , Bernd Salzberger 5
Affiliations
- PMID: 36690889
- DOI: 10.1007/s15010-023-01982-4
Abstract
Purpose: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused substantial mortality worldwide. We investigated clinical and demographic features of COVID-19-related deaths that occurred between March 2020 and January 2022 in Regensburg, Germany.
Methods: We compared data across four consecutive time periods: March 2020 to September 2020 (period 1), October 2020 to February 2021 (period 2), March 2021 to August 2021 (period 3), and September 2021 to January 2022 (period 4).
Results: Overall, 405 deaths in relation to COVID-19 were reported. The raw case fatality ratio (CFR) was 0.92. In periods 1 to 4, the CFRs were 1.70%, 2.67%, 1.06%, and 0.36%. The age-specific CFR and mortality were highest in persons aged ≥ 80 years in period 2 while mortality in younger cases increased with time. The median age at death was 84 years and it varied slightly across periods. Around 50% of cases of death were previously hospitalized. In all time periods, the cause of death was mostly attributed to COVID-19. Over the four periods, we did not find significant changes in the distribution of sex and risk factors for severe disease. The most frequent risk factor was cardio-circulatory disease.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the CFR decreased over time, most prominently for period 4. Mortality was considerable and younger cases were increasingly at risk.
Keywords: COVID-19; Case fatality ratio; Death; Hospitalization; Mortality.