Matteo Riccò1. 1. Azienda USL di Reggio EmiliaV.le Amendola n.2 - 42122 REServizio di Prevenzione e Sicurezza negli Ambienti di Lavoro (SPSAL)Dip. di Prevenzione. mricco2000@gmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Because of their remoteness, Mountain Communities (MC) have been considered at advantage when dealing with infectious diseases. However, earlier reports have identified MC among the hotspots for early spreading of COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Crude mortality rates (CMR) and Excess mortality rates (EMR) were calculated for 97 municipalities from MC in the Emilia Romagna Region, and resulting estimates were compared to the Parent Provinces. Notification and mortality rates for COVID-19 were also retrieved, and correlated with EMR estimates. RESULTS: During 2020, a CMR of 150.3/100,000 (95% Confidence Interval [95%CI] 117-185.4) was identified, with substantial heterogeneities between the 8 provinces of Emilia Romagna Region that were included in the analyses. A pooled EMR of +20.3% (95%CI 10.6-30.1) for MC and 19.9% (95%CI 9.5-30.3) was identified. The monthly estimates were quite heterogenous across the various provinces, ranging between -79.7% and +307.4% during the assessed timeframe. Higher estimates were identified in the months of March and April in MC, and during the months of April and May for Parent Provinces. In bivariate analysis, EM in MC was positively correlated with estimates in the parent province (Spearman's r = 0.201, p = 0.049), and also with notification rates for COVID- (i.e. Piacenza, Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, Ravenna, Rimini, and Forlì Cesena) (r = 0.225, p = 0.045), and particularly with mortality rates for COVID-19 at provincial level (r = 0.372, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the study highlights that small geographical and population size, along with remoteness, did not play a substantial advantage for MC against the spread and mortality rate of COVID-19. On the other hand, as the surge of EM in MC anticipated a similar habit in Parent Provinces of several weeks, improved surveillance interventions are also urgently in need. (www.actabiomedica.it).
BACKGROUND: Because of their remoteness, Mountain Communities (MC) have been considered at advantage when dealing with infectious diseases. However, earlier reports have identified MC among the hotspots for early spreading of COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Crude mortality rates (CMR) and Excess mortality rates (EMR) were calculated for 97 municipalities from MC in the Emilia Romagna Region, and resulting estimates were compared to the Parent Provinces. Notification and mortality rates for COVID-19 were also retrieved, and correlated with EMR estimates. RESULTS: During 2020, a CMR of 150.3/100,000 (95% Confidence Interval [95%CI] 117-185.4) was identified, with substantial heterogeneities between the 8 provinces of Emilia Romagna Region that were included in the analyses. A pooled EMR of +20.3% (95%CI 10.6-30.1) for MC and 19.9% (95%CI 9.5-30.3) was identified. The monthly estimates were quite heterogenous across the various provinces, ranging between -79.7% and +307.4% during the assessed timeframe. Higher estimates were identified in the months of March and April in MC, and during the months of April and May for Parent Provinces. In bivariate analysis, EM in MC was positively correlated with estimates in the parent province (Spearman's r = 0.201, p = 0.049), and also with notification rates for COVID- (i.e. Piacenza, Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, Ravenna, Rimini, and Forlì Cesena) (r = 0.225, p = 0.045), and particularly with mortality rates for COVID-19 at provincial level (r = 0.372, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the study highlights that small geographical and population size, along with remoteness, did not play a substantial advantage for MC against the spread and mortality rate of COVID-19. On the other hand, as the surge of EM in MC anticipated a similar habit in Parent Provinces of several weeks, improved surveillance interventions are also urgently in need. (www.actabiomedica.it).
Authors: Seth Flaxman; Swapnil Mishra; Axel Gandy; H Juliette T Unwin; Thomas A Mellan; Helen Coupland; Charles Whittaker; Harrison Zhu; Tresnia Berah; Jeffrey W Eaton; Mélodie Monod; Azra C Ghani; Christl A Donnelly; Steven Riley; Michaela A C Vollmer; Neil M Ferguson; Lucy C Okell; Samir Bhatt Journal: Nature Date: 2020-06-08 Impact factor: 49.962
Authors: Vincenza Gianfredi; Nicole Sibilla Mauer; Leandro Gentile; Matteo Riccò; Anna Odone; Carlo Signorelli Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-04-20 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Matteo Scortichini; Rochelle Schneider Dos Santos; Francesca De' Donato; Manuela De Sario; Paola Michelozzi; Marina Davoli; Pierre Masselot; Francesco Sera; Antonio Gasparrini Journal: Int J Epidemiol Date: 2021-01-23 Impact factor: 7.196
Authors: Walter Leal Filho; Johannes M Lütz; David N Sattler; Patrick D Nunn Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-07-28 Impact factor: 3.390