Disease burden of the COVID-19

Abstract

Background: As of April 4, 2024, 775,293,630 cases and 7,044,637 deaths have been recorded worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Mongolia, the COVID-19 pandemic period is considered to be the period from the date of its public announcement in March 2020 to the end of the Law on the Prevention and Control of the Pandemic and the Reduction of its Negative Impact on Society and the Economy on December 31, 2022. During this period, the total number of cases and deaths due to the pandemic in the country was 2,156 and 890,311, respectively. The basis for this research is the need to calculate and provide evidence on the burden of COVID-19 based on geographical location and population to ensure pandemic preparedness and optimize public health policies and planning in our country. Aim: Estimate the burden of morbidity and mortality caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: This study calculated the burden of disease in the population with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis based on Mongolia’s 2022 COVID-19 morbidity and mortality data. The results were presented in three formats: DALY, DALY per 100,000 population, and age-standardized DALY. The burden of disease was calculated using the protocol and methodology for calculating the burden of disease for COVID-19 developed by the European Burden of Disease Network. Results: In 2022, the disability-adjusted life years (DALY) by region were 513.3 in the western region, 717.9 in the Khangai region, 654.6 in the central region, 96.3 in the eastern region, and 2,396.9 in Ulaanbaatar city. The DALY rate per 100,000 population was 655.2 in the western region, 695.2 in the Khangai region, 834.3 in the central region, 140.7 in the eastern region, and 150.2 in Ulaanbaatar city. Conclusion: The burden of COVID-19 varied by region and age group. In the central region and densely populated areas such as Ulaanbaatar city, the burden of COVID-19 testing was highest in the age groups over 65 and 0-4.