COVID-19 mortality in two waves of the pandemic in Cali, Colombia, before and during vaccination roll-out

Abstract

Objective. To describe the variation in COVID-19 mortality among residents of Cali, Colombia, in the second wave of the pandemic, before vaccines, and in the fourth wave, with vaccination roll-out in process, taking into account variables of sex, age group, comorbidities, and interval between onset of symptoms and death, and to estimate the number of deaths averted by vaccination. Methods. A cross-sectional study of second wave and fourth wave deaths and vaccination coverage. The frequencies of attributes of deceased population in the two waves were compared, including comorbidities. Machado's method was used to calculate an estimate of the number of deaths averted in the fourth wave. Results. There were 1 133 deaths in the second wave and 754 deaths in the fourth wave. It was calculated that approximately 3 763 deaths were averted in the fourth wave in Cali in the context of vaccination roll-out. Conclusions. The decline in COVID-19-associated mortality observed supports the continuation of the vaccination program. Given the lack of data to explain other possible reasons for this decline, such as on the severity of novel viral variants, the limitations of the study are discussed.

Unveiling the truth: is COVID-19 reimbursement in Colombia a flawed design? A cost-of-illness analysis for moderate, severe and critical infections

“…It is important to account for the variations in costs observed during different periods of our study. Notably, February coincided with the onset of the second wave of the pandemic 16 in Colombia, a phase marked by significant uncertainty surrounding treatment protocols. This uncertainty may have contributed to the higher utilisation of resources during this period.…”

Effectiveness of the Booster Dose in Protecting against COVID-19, Colombia 2022

“…The first wave peaked in August 2020, the second wave peaked in January 2021, the third wave, the most severe and prolonged, associated with the Delta variant and the emergence of the Mu variant (first identified in Colombia by our group) [ 5 ], peaked in June 2021, and the fourth wave peaked in January 2022. [ 6 ] The present study focuses on the fourth wave, which occurred in mid-January 2022 and reached a maximum mortality rate of 282 deaths per day on 28 January. The Colombian National Institute of Health (INS) reported that 80% of these deaths were attributed to the Omicron variant [ 7 , 8 ], which was designated as a VOC by the WHO on 26 November 2021 [ 9 ].…”