Letter to the editor: Excess all-cause mortality during second wave of COVID-19 – the Polish perspective

Grabowski, Jakub; Witkowska, Natalia; Bidzan, Leszek

doi:10.2807/1560-7917.es.2021.26.7.2100117

Cited by 19 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…By contrast, other regions have reported higher mortality rates in their second waves, including some Central and Eastern European countries [ 22 ], India, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico [ 6 ]. A number of factors may explain these increases including the lack of testing capacities, more lax preventative measures including social distancing and lockdown not strictly or impossibly imposed [ 23 – 25 ], overwhelmed healthcare systems and inadequate supply of medications and vaccines.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 during wave 1 and wave 2 of the current pandemic

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this study of patients admitted with COVID-19, we examined differences between the two waves in patient characteristics and outcomes. Data were collected from the first COVID-19 admission to the end of study (01/03/2020–31/03/2021). Data were adjusted for age and sex and presented as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Among 12,471 admissions, 1452 (11.6%) patients were diagnosed with COVID-19. On admission, the mean (± SD) age of patients with other causes was 68.3 years (± 19.8) and those with COVID-19 in wave 1 was 69.4 years (± 18.0) and wave 2 was 66.2 years (± 18.4). Corresponding ages at discharge were 67.5 years (± 19.7), 63.9 years (± 18.0) and 62.4 years (± 18.0). The highest proportion of total admissions was among the oldest group (≥ 80 years) in wave 1 (35.0%). When compared with patients admitted with other causes, those admitted with COVID-19 in wave 1 and in wave 2 were more frequent in the 40–59 year band: 20.8, 24.6 and 30.0%; consisted of more male patients: 47.5, 57.6 and 58.8%; and a high LACE (Length of stay, Acuity of admission, Comorbidity and Emergency department visits) index (score ≥ 10): 39.4, 61.3 and 50.3%. Compared to wave-2 patients, those admitted in wave 1 had greater risk of death in hospital: OR = 1.58 (1.18–2.12) and within 30 days of discharge: OR = 2.91 (1.40–6.04). Survivors of COVID-19 in wave 1 stayed longer in hospital (median = 6.5 days; interquartile range = 2.9–12.0) as compared to survivors from wave 2 (4.5 days; interquartile range = 1.9–8.7). Patient characteristics differed significantly between the two waves of COVID-19 pandemic. There was an improvement in outcomes in wave 2, including shorter length of stay in hospital and reduction of mortality.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 during wave 1 and wave 2 of the current pandemic

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…We run a number of specifications with pre-registered sets of explanatory variables (see https://osf.io/e9cb2 accessed on 24 September 2021; a slight departure is that we skipped age squared, which is insignificant, to facilitate the interpretation and visualization of Figure 1. This has no bearing on other results in all models except for [1]. We also included 15 regional dummies that are jointly significant and that we overlooked in the pre-registered data analysis plan.…”

Section: Data Analysis Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We conduct our study in Poland; while the country is experiencing extreme excess mortality during the pandemic [1], anti-vaccination attitudes have been on the rise in recent years [1,2], and opposition against COVID-19 vaccines is strong, compared with most other countries [3,4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Persuasive Messages Will Not Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance: Evidence from a Nationwide Online Experiment

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Although mass vaccination is the best way out of the pandemic, the share of skeptics is substantial in most countries. Social campaigns can emphasize the many arguments that potentially increase acceptance for vaccines: e.g., that they have been developed, tested, and recommended by doctors and scientists; and that they are safe, effective, and in demand. We verified the effectiveness of such messages in an online experiment conducted in February and March 2021 with a sample of almost six thousand adult Poles, which was nationally representative in terms of key demographic variables. We presented respondents with different sets of information about vaccinating against COVID-19. After reading the information bundle, they indicated whether they would be willing to be vaccinated. We also asked them to justify their answers and indicate who or what might change their opinion. Finally, we elicited a number of individual characteristics and opinions. We found that nearly 45% of the respondents were unwilling to be vaccinated, and none of the popular messages we used was effective in reducing this hesitancy. We also observed a number of significant correlates of vaccination attitudes, with men, older, wealthier, and non-religious individuals, those with higher education, and those trusting science rather than COVID-19 conspiracy theories being more willing to be vaccinated. We discuss important consequences for campaigns aimed at reducing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.

show abstract

“…The main goal of our study was to understand the multidimensional factors inducing vaccine hesitancy or acceptability in Poland, belonging to the group of Central and Eastern European countries with the lowest vaccination acceptability [ 10 , 11 ]. Our study was carried out at the third wave’s peak of the pandemic, with record rates of daily cases and deaths associated with COVID-19 [ 12 ]. Our results indicate that vaccine hesitancy/acceptability should always be considered in an interdisciplinary manner, and according to identified factors, the majority of negative attitudes could be modified.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Poland—Multifactorial Impact Trajectories

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Since the declaration of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic confirmed by World Health Organization, work on the development of vaccines has been stimulated. When vaccines are commonly available, a major problem is persistent vaccine hesitancy in many European countries. The main goal of our study was to understand the multidimensional factors inducing this phenomenon in Poland. Our study was carried out at the third wave’s peak of the pandemic, with record rates of daily cases and deaths associated with COVID-19. The results indicate that vaccine hesitancy/acceptability should always be considered in an interdisciplinary manner and according to identified factors where most negative attitudes could be altered. Our analyses included the assessment of a representative quota sample of adult Poles (N = 1000). The vaccine hesitancy in the studied group reached 49.2%. We performed stepwise logistic regression modeling to analyze variables set into six trajectories (groups) predicting the willingness to vaccinate. Apart from typical, socio-demographic and economic determinants, we identified the fear of vaccines’ side effects, beliefs in conspiracy theories and physical fitness. We were also able to establish the order of importance of factors used in a full model of all impact trajectories.

show abstract

Letter to the editor: Excess all-cause mortality during second wave of COVID-19 – the Polish perspective

Cited by 19 publications

References 4 publications

Comparison of characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 during wave 1 and wave 2 of the current pandemic

Comparison of characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 during wave 1 and wave 2 of the current pandemic

Persuasive Messages Will Not Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance: Evidence from a Nationwide Online Experiment

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Poland—Multifactorial Impact Trajectories

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About