Respiratory diseases (RDs), especially lower respiratory tract infections, have always contributed significantly to mortality, as the COVID-19 pandemic has once again confirmed. The Russian Federation territory vastness suggests the possibility of differences between regions in mortality rates.
OBJECTIVE
To compare regional variability of age-standardized mortality rates (SMRs) from RDs, malignant neoplasms (MNs) of respiratory system and tuberculosis in the Russian Federation for two periods — 2017—2019 (before pandemic) and 2020—2022 (COVID-19 pandemic).
MATERIAL AND METHODS
SMRs for RDs (J00-J99 class ICD-10), MNs, tuberculosis and COVID-19 were separately calculated for 82 regions of the Russian Federation based on the data of Federal State Statistics Service using the European Standard Population. The average regional (M±SD), maximal and minimal SMRs, variation coefficients were calculated. SMRs were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, the Bonferroni correction. The differences at p<0.05 were considered to be statistically significant.
RESULTS
The average regional value of SMR from RDs was 37.09±14.84 per 100.000 population in 2017—2019 and 60.52±31.81 per 100.000 population in 2020—2022 (p<0.0001). SMRs from RDs decreased only in 4 regions in the 2nd period. SMRs from MNs and tuberculosis decreased, but their increase was noted in 4 regions. The average regional SMR from the total of all studied diseases in the 2nd period increased from 73.76±23.35 to 210.73±91.80 per 100.000 population due to COVID-19 (118.19±83.74 per 100.000 population) and pneumonias of various etiology (p<0.0001); there was no increase in SMRs from chronic RDs. The interregional variation of SMRs from the analyzed causes was pronounced in both periods, but it was less in the 2nd period than in the 1st one.
CONCLUSION
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the average age-standardized death rate from respiratory diseases increased almost 3 times in all regions of the Russian Federation due to respiratory infections — COVID-19 and pneumonias; the dynamics of the studied indicators differed from the average only in a few regions.
