Burden of Disease of COVID-19: Strengthening the Collaboration for National Studies

Abstract

ObjectivesQuantifying the combined impact of morbidity and mortality is a key enabler to assessing the impact of COVID-19 across countries and within countries relative to other diseases, regions, or demographics. Differences in methods, data sources, and definitions of mortality due to COVID-19 may hamper comparisons. We describe efforts to support countries in estimating the national-level burden of COVID-19 using disability-adjusted life years.MethodsThe European Burden of Disease Network developed a consensus methodology, as well as a range of capacity-building activities to support burden of COVID-19 studies. These activities have supported 11 national studies so far, with study periods between January 2020 and December 2021.ResultsNational studies dealt with various data gaps and different assumptions were made to face knowledge gaps. Still, they delivered broadly comparable results that allow for interpretation of consistencies, as well as differences in the quantified direct health impact of the pandemic.DiscussionHarmonized efforts and methodologies have allowed for comparable estimates and communication of results. Future studies should evaluate the impact of interventions, and unravel the indirect health impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

Burden of infectious disease studies in Europe and the United Kingdom: a review of methodological design choices

“…Another noteworthy observation was that almost all burden of COVID-19 studies followed consensus methodologies to estimate the impact of COVID-19 in EU/EEA/EFTA countries and the United Kingdom. The harmonisation of methods is attributable to the work of the COVID-19 Task Force of the burden-eu network, which aimed to support network members to estimate COVID-19 DALYs (42). The Task Force did this by, for instance, developing an open access protocol (available at: https://www.burden-eu.net/) providing guidance for researchers planning to estimate COVID-19 DALYs, which likely facilitated the number of burden of COVID-19 disease studies undertaken across Europe [42][43][44].…”

Evaluation of the gut microbiota patterns in patients with COVID-19: a protocol for a pilot study

“…As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic on March 11, 2020 (2). Since then, the social and public health burden of the disease has inferred to be tremendous (3). As of November 2022, more than 633 million con rmed cases and 6.5 million deaths have been reported globally (4).…”

Leveraging research, community and collaboration towards robust COVID-19 mental health response in the Caribbean

“… 4 Hence, COVID-19 can be considered a mass traumatizing, disabling event with short- and long-term ramifications to be addressed through both practice and policy. 5 …”