Cross-Country Comparison of Prevalence, Mortality, and Fatality Rates of COVID-19 Infection During the First 12 Months of the Pandemic: Analysis of Severely Affected Countries

Anwer, Shahnawaz; Li, Heng; Musa, Salihu  Sabiu; Zoubi, Fadi  Al; Antwi-Afari, Maxwell  Fordjour; Iqbal, Zaheen  Ahmed; Wong, Arnold  Yu Lok

doi:10.2139/ssrn.5040669

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Cross-Country Comparison of Prevalence, Mortality, and Fatality Rates of COVID-19 Infection During the First 12 Months of the Pandemic: Analysis of Severely Affected Countries

21 Pages Posted: 4 Dec 2024

See all articles by Shahnawaz Anwer

Shahnawaz Anwer

Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Heng Li

Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Salihu Sabiu Musa

University of Maryland

Fadi Al Zoubi

Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Maxwell Fordjour Antwi-Afari

Aston University

Zaheen Ahmed Iqbal

The Education University of Hong Kong

Arnold Yu Lok Wong

Hong Kong Polytechnic University - Department of Rehabilitation Sciences

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Abstract

Background: Many studies have examined the patterns of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevalence in individual countries or states, often focusing on the United States or Brazil. Nevertheless, there is currently no such research or study that has compared different continents such as Europe, Asia, the African region etc. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the prevalence, mortality, and case fatality rates (CFRs) of COVID-19 across 20 severely affected countries during the first 12 months of the pandemic.

Methods: Data were sourced from the World Health Organization (WHO) and standardized as cases or deaths per one million population. The analysis used the date of the first reported death as the baseline, categorizing data into four time periods: 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months.

Results: Findings show that the average 12-month prevalence was 101,104 cases per million, with France, Germany, the UK, the USA, and Spain reporting the highest prevalence rates. The average mortality rate was 1,226 deaths per million, with Peru, France, Germany, the UK, and Mexico showing the highest rates. The average 12-month CFRs was 2.98%, with the highest rates observed in Mexico, Peru, China, Iran, and Italy. In contrast, China, India, Indonesia, Turkey, and Iran had the lowest mortality rates, while France, Germany, the UK, Turkey, and India reported the lowest CFRs.

Interpretation: The findings reveal significant regional differences, with a disproportionate impact on European countries. These cross-country comparisons underscore the need for tailored public health strategies and provide valuable insights for global pandemic preparedness and resource allocation.

Funding: This research study was supported by the BRE Research Incentive Scheme (P0047902) from Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Declaration of Interest: All authors declare no competing interests.

Keywords: COVID-19, Mortality, Fatality, Deaths, Prevalence, Case Fatality

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Anwer, Shahnawaz and Li, Heng and Musa, Salihu Sabiu and Zoubi, Fadi Al and Antwi-Afari, Maxwell Fordjour and Iqbal, Zaheen Ahmed and Wong, Arnold Yu Lok, Cross-Country Comparison of Prevalence, Mortality, and Fatality Rates of COVID-19 Infection During the First 12 Months of the Pandemic: Analysis of Severely Affected Countries. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5040669 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5040669