Country-level determinants of the severity of the first global wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: an ecological study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

We aimed to identify the country-level determinants of the severity of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design

Ecological study of publicly available data. Countries reporting >25 COVID-19 related deaths until 8 June 2020 were included. The outcome was log mean mortality rate from COVID-19, an estimate of the country-level daily increase in reported deaths during the ascending phase of the epidemic curve. Potential determinants assessed were most recently published demographic parameters (population and population density, percentage population living in urban areas, population >65 years, average body mass index and smoking prevalence); economic parameters (gross domestic product per capita); environmental parameters (pollution levels and mean temperature (

SUBMITTER: Pana TA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7868125 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature