Excess mortality associated with the COVID-19 pandemic among Californians 18–65 years of age, by occupational sector and occupation: March through October 2020

AbstractBackgroundThough SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks have been documented in occupational settings and though there is speculation that essential workers face heightened risks for COVID-19, occupational differences in excess mortality have, to date, not been examined. Such information could point to opportunities for intervention, such as workplace modifications and prioritization of vaccine distribution.Methods and findingsUsing death records from the California Department of Public Health, we estimated excess mortality among Californians 18–65 years of age by occupational sector and occupation, with additional stratification of the sector analysis by race/ethnicity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, working age adults experienced a 22% increase in mortality compared to historical periods. Relative excess mortality was highest in food/agriculture workers (39% increase), transportation/logistics workers (28% increase), facilities (27%) and manufacturing workers (23% increase). Latino Californians experienced a 36% increase in mortality, with a 59% increase among Latino food/agriculture workers. Black Californians experienced a 28% increase in mortality, with a 36% increase for Black retail workers. Asian Californians experienced an 18% increase, with a 40% increase among Asian healthcare workers. Excess mortality among White working-age Californians increased by 6%, with a 16% increase among White food/agriculture workers.ConclusionsCertain occupational sectors have been associated with high excess mortality during the pandemic, particularly among racial and ethnic groups also disproportionately affected by COVID-19. In-person essential work is a likely venue of transmission of coronavirus infection and must be addressed through strict enforcement of health orders in workplace settings and protection of in-person workers. Vaccine distribution prioritizing in-person essential workers will be important for reducing excess COVID mortality.

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Excess mortality associated with the COVID-19 pandemic among Californians 18–65 years of age, by occupational sector and occupation: March through November 2020

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0252454 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (6) ◽

pp. e0252454

Author(s):

Yea-Hung Chen ◽

Maria Glymour ◽

Alicia Riley ◽

John Balmes ◽

Kate Duchowny ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ethnic Groups ◽

Excess Mortality ◽

Moving Average ◽

Essential Work ◽

California Department ◽

Food And Agriculture ◽

Working Age ◽

Per Capita ◽

Transportation Logistics ◽

Excess Deaths

Background Though SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks have been documented in occupational settings and in-person essential work has been suspected as a risk factor for COVID-19, occupational differences in excess mortality have, to date, not been examined. Such information could point to opportunities for intervention, such as vaccine prioritization or regulations to enforce safer work environments. Methods and findings Using autoregressive integrated moving average models and California Department of Public Health data representing 356,188 decedents 18–65 years of age who died between January 1, 2016 and November 30, 2020, we estimated pandemic-related excess mortality by occupational sector and occupation, with additional stratification of the sector analysis by race/ethnicity. During these first 9 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, working-age adults experienced 11,628 more deaths than expected, corresponding to 22% relative excess and 46 excess deaths per 100,000 living individuals. Sectors with the highest relative and per-capita excess mortality were food/agriculture (39% relative excess; 75 excess deaths per 100,000), transportation/logistics (31%; 91 per 100,000), manufacturing (24%; 61 per 100,000), and facilities (23%; 83 per 100,000). Across racial and ethnic groups, Latino working-age Californians experienced the highest relative excess mortality (37%) with the highest excess mortality among Latino workers in food and agriculture (59%; 97 per 100,000). Black working-age Californians had the highest per-capita excess mortality (110 per 100,000), with relative excess mortality highest among transportation/logistics workers (36%). Asian working-age Californians had lower excess mortality overall, but notable relative excess mortality among health/emergency workers (37%), while White Californians had high per-capita excess deaths among facilities workers (70 per 100,000). Conclusions Certain occupational sectors are associated with high excess mortality during the pandemic, particularly among racial and ethnic groups also disproportionately affected by COVID-19. In-person essential work is a likely venue of transmission of coronavirus infection and must be addressed through vaccination and strict enforcement of health orders in workplace settings.

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THE STRUCTURE OF EXCESS MORTALITY DUE TO THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS INFECTION PANDEMIC IN URBAN AND RURAL RESIDENTS

Social Aspects of Population Health ◽

10.21045/2071-5021-2021-67-5-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 67 (5) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

T.P. Sabgayda ◽

◽

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Excess Mortality ◽

Age Groups ◽

The Novel ◽

Rural Residents ◽

Urban And Rural Residents ◽

Coronavirus Infection ◽

The Russian Federation ◽

Direct Loss ◽

Novel Coronavirus

Significance. The pandemic of the novel coronavirus infection has further exacerbated the demographic problem in the Russian Federation, which was especially acute in rural areas. However, according to official data, only one third of the excess mortality in 2020 is accounted for by COVID-19. Purpose: to compare the structure of mortality growth in urban and rural residents and determine differences in loss associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods. Based on the Rosstat preliminary data, the author has analyzed increase in the number of deaths per 100,000 population in 2020 compared to 2019 among males and females residing in urban and rural areas of the Russian Federation. The indicators were compared by major classes of death causes and individual diseases across the following three age groups: 15-49 years, 50-64 years, and 65 years and older. Comparison was carried out by the Chi-square test. Results. Among the urban and rural population the death rate increased by 20.6% and 15.4%, respectively; the COVID-19 mortality equaled to 109.4 and 67.5 per 100,000 population; the share of COVID-19 in the increased total mortality added up to 44.6% and 33.0%, respectively. Among urban residents, the frequency of deaths from COVID-19 in males exceeds the female one 1.8 times in population aged 15-49, 2.0 times in population aged 50-64 and 65 +; among rural residents, these values equal to 1.2, 1.4 and 1.8, respectively. Conclusion. In the structure of excess mortality associated with the spread of the novel coronavirus infection that accounted for almost one fifth of deaths in 2019, the share of direct loss due to COVID-19 is underestimated. The direct loss associated with co-infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus can be traced at the population level, starting from the age of 65 in males and 50 years in females, in case of deaths from diseases of the nervous system, coronary heart disease, chronic diseases of the lower respiratory tract and diseases of the pancreas. With a lower level of excess mortality among rural population, its quarter is accounted for by indirect loss due to the pandemic associated with the decreased access to medical care. In the structure of excess mortality among urban population, indirect loss accounts for about one tenth, and is mainly due to consequences of stress associated with the pandemic and forced isolation. Signs of incomplete examination of the deceased in older age groups to determine the death causes, especially among rural residents, have been identified.

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Analysis of the toxicological situation in Moscow in the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic

Токсикологический вестник ◽

10.36946/0869-7922-2021-29-5-49-57 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 29 (5) ◽

pp. 49-57

Author(s):

Anastasiya Yurevna Simonova ◽

Pavel Gennadevich Rozhkov ◽

Mariya Vladimirovna Belova ◽

Kapitolina Konstsntinovna Ilyashenko ◽

Mikhail Mikhaylovich Potskhveriya ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emergency Medicine ◽

Medical Care ◽

Acute Poisoning ◽

Hospitalized Patients ◽

Toxic Effects ◽

Alcohol Poisoning ◽

Working Age ◽

Coronavirus Infection ◽

Restrictive Measures ◽

The Impact

Introduction. On March 11, 2020, WHO announced the global COVID-19 pandemic. According to literature data, the spread of coronavirus infection COVID-19 affected the structure of acute chemical poisoning. The aim. Assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictive measures on the peculiarities of seeking advice and the structure of acute chemical poisoning in Moscow. Material and methods. The data of the registration forms “Card of recording of a consultation of a patient with acute poisoning of chemical etiology” in the period from March 30 to June 30, 2020 and 2019 were studied. The analysis indicators of a hospitalization of patients in the department of acute poisoning and somatopsychiatric disorders of N.V. Sklifosovsky, the Research Institute of Emergency Medicine. Results. It was found that in the analyzed period of 2020 compared to 2019, the proportion of injured people of working age decreased by 11.2%, while it increased at the age of 0-17 years by 3.2 times. An increase in the number of consultations for individuals by 2.1 times was noted. There was an increase in the number of complaints about poisoning with antibiotics, drugs from the T45 group (anticoagulants, vitamins, etc.), T37 (antiviral, anti-microbial, etc.) by 1.7-2 times. In March-June 2020, there was an increase in the number of complaints about the toxic effects of alcohol (T51), an increase in hospitalized patients with acute alcohol poisoning by 4 times, and with combined alcohol poisoning - by 2.7 times. The number of complaints about poisoning with detergents and disinfectants in the first three months of the pandemic increased by 2.7 times. Conclusion. The pandemic and the introduction of restrictive measures for COVID-19 have affected the toxicological situation in Moscow, which must be taken into account when determining the guidelines for organizational measures for the provision of medical care for acute chemical poisoning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Creativity, Readiness for Changes and Tolerance for Ambiguity

BRAIN. BROAD RESEARCH IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND NEUROSCIENCE ◽

10.18662/brain/12.3/219 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 44-63

Author(s):

Viktoriia Vynohradova ◽

Iryna Bila ◽

Olena Kostyuchenko ◽

Svitlana Oborska ◽

Liudmyla Dykhnych

Keyword(s):

Creative Thinking ◽

Tourism Industry ◽

Professional Activity ◽

Correctional Programs ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Tolerance For Ambiguity ◽

Working Age ◽

Research Procedure ◽

Event Tourism ◽

Retail Workers

Under the conditions of precarious situation, caused by the global pandemic and unprecedented restrictions, aimed at countering it, productivity of specialists in various fields of work is reducing significantly. This is particularly true of activities, conducted through direct communication between concerned parties. In order to counter instability, workers have to develop creativity, readiness for changes and tolerance for ambiguity. The goal of research is to establish correlations between the type of professional activity and creativity, readiness for changes and tolerance for ambiguity. The respondents of the study were 260 people of working age –the staff of event, tourism, restaurant business, trade, IT spheres. The research procedure included organizational, target-oriented, empirical, final stages. Time limits of the study – April – July 2020. For psychodiagnostics the article uses the Torrance test of creative thinking, diagnostics of personal creativity by Tunik, the methodology “personal readiness for changes”, the scale of individual’s tolerance for ambiguity by McLain. The study found clear correlations between the indicators of creativity, readiness for changes and tolerance for ambiguity. The original model of a creative specialist (endowed with originality, adaptability, optimism and common sense) in the conditions of changes and uncertainty was formed in the research. The results of psychodiagnostics showed the highest indicators of creativity among IT workers, readiness for changes–among the staff of IT and event spheres, tolerance for ambiguity–among retail workers. In the conditions of pandemic destruction, the workers of the tourism industry were the least creative, while the workers of the event sphere turned out to be unprepared for changes and the workers of the event and tourism industries –intolerant for ambiguity. The results of the study can be used to develop correctional programs to increase the staff’s creativity, readiness for changes, tolerance for ambiguity. It is the development and implementation of effective psycho-correctional programs for the use of real communication and digital tools that are the prospect of further scientific research on the ways to solve the problem.

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Research of the Possibility of Increasing Level of Em-ployment in Ukraine Based on the Results of the Analysis of Unemployment Problems

Economic Herald of the Donbas ◽

10.12958/1817-3772-2020-3(61)-198-204 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 198-204

Author(s):

V. Gitis ◽

◽

M. Margieva ◽

S. Drigo ◽

A. Yurkin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Migrant Workers ◽

Public Procurement ◽

Educational Institutions ◽

Internally Displaced Persons ◽

Real Situation ◽

Demographic Situation ◽

Internally Displaced ◽

Active Population ◽

Working Age ◽

Coronavirus Infection

The article examines the state of unemployment in Ukraine, in particular, it is established that the financial and economic crisis associated with hostilities within the country, and coronavirus infection have significantly exacerbated this problem. This manifested itself primarily in a decrease in the share of economically active population of working age in the population as a whole and an increase in the number of unemployed population of working age. It is also established that internal resettlement and growth due to this level of unemployment, as well as the streng-thening of emigration intentions among internally displaced persons against the background of a fairly high number of workers abroad. As well as the crisis caused by coronavirus infection, without exaggeration, made significant adjustments to the Ukrainian labor market. In the field of employment, there was a significant decrease in the number of vacancies along with an increase in the number of unemployed citizens. First of all, those who worked informally in industries whose activities were suspended during quarantine lost their jobs. They were joined by migrant workers who returned to Ukraine after losing their jobs abroad. Today, all these people are at a crossroads. Possible ways to reduce unemployment in the country are suggested. Reducing unemployment will contribute to Ukraine's economic development. But overcoming this problem requires the implementation of a set of solutions, ranging from adequate distribution of public procurement in the training of specialists in educational institutions and ending with economic reforms and investment. The real situation that has happened now in Ukraine can be seen without statistics. Given the demographic situation in different regions of Ukraine, as well as quarantine, we can predict that at the current level of job creation and natural population growth, unemployment in the regions in the future will become even more acute.

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Know Your Epidemic, Know Your Response: Covid-19 in the United States

10.1101/2020.04.09.20049288 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Alberto Ciancio ◽

Fabrice Kämpfen ◽

Iliana V. Kohler ◽

Daniel Bennett ◽

Wändi Bruine de Bruin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Excess Mortality ◽

College Education ◽

State Level ◽

The United States ◽

Economic Consequences ◽

Economic Implications ◽

Policy Responses ◽

Coronavirus Infection ◽

Socioeconomic Consequences

We document that during the week of March 10–16, the Covid-19 pandemic fundamentally affected the perceptions of U.S. residents about the health risks and socioeconomic consequences entailed by the pandemic. During this week, it seems, “everything changed.” Not only did the pandemic progress rapidly across the United States, but U.S. residents started to realize that the threat was real: increasing Covid-19 caseloads heightened perceptions of infection risks and excess mortality risks, concerns about the economic implications increased substantially, and behavioral responses became widespread as the pandemic expanded rapidly in the U.S. In early to mid-March 2020, average perceptions about the coronavirus infection risks are broadly consistent with projections about the pandemic, while expectations about dying conditional on infection and expectations about Covid-19-related excess mortality during the next months are possibly too pessimistic. However, some aspects of Covid-19 perceptions are disconcerting from the perspective of implementing and sustaining an effective societal response to the pandemic. For instance, the education gradient in expected infection risks entails the possibility of having different perceptions of the reality of the pandemic between people with and without a college education, potentially resulting in two different levels of behavioral and policy-responses across individuals and regions. Unless addressed by effective health communication that reaches individuals across all social strata, some of the misperceptions about Covid-19 epidemic raise concerns about the ability of the United States to implement and sustain the widespread and harsh policies that are required to curtail the pandemic. Our analyses also reveal perceptions of becoming infected with the virus, and dying from Covid-19, were driven upwards by a rapidly increasing national caseload, and perceptions of the economic consequences and the adaptation of social distancing were affected by both national and state-level cases.

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Current state and trends of occupational incidence in the Samara region

Terapevt (General Physician) ◽

10.33920/med-12-2111-06 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 58-64

Author(s):

Sergey Anatolievich Babanov

Keyword(s):

Occupational Diseases ◽

Biological Factor ◽

Working Population ◽

Permanent Disability ◽

Current State ◽

Medical Institutions ◽

Working Age ◽

Coronavirus Infection ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Medical Examinations

At present, the preservation and strengthening of the health of the working population is one of the priority tasks of health care in the Russian Federation, including in the Samara region. Up to 39.7 % of the country's working-age population work in conditions that do not meet sanitary and hygienic requirements. Unsatisfactory working conditions are the main reason for the development of occupational diseases among the working population in the Samara region. 42 acute occupational diseases with permanent disability, including 13 acute occupational diseases with fatal outcomes from the biological factor «novel coronavirus infection caused by the COVID-19 virus», are registered in the workers of medical institutions. In the Samara region, there is a low detection rate of occupational diseases revealed in the course of preventive medical examinations — 43.08 %, this figure remains below the national average — 59.31 %.

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Social and hygienic problems and mortality of the population after the liquidation of a city-forming enterprise for the production of chemically hazardous substances (on the example of Usolye-Sibirskoye, Irkutsk region)

Russian Journal of Occupational Health and Industrial Ecology ◽

10.31089/1026-9428-2021-61-12-768-780 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 61 (12) ◽

pp. 768-780

Author(s):

Igor V. Bukhtiyarov ◽

Oleg O. Salagai ◽

Galina I. Tikhonova ◽

Anastasiya N. Churanova ◽

Tatyana Yu. Gorchakova

Keyword(s):

Mortality Rate ◽

Causes Of Death ◽

Excess Mortality ◽

Irkutsk Oblast ◽

Female Population ◽

Male And Female ◽

Working Age ◽

And Gender ◽

Gender Groups ◽

The City

Introduction. In Usolye-Sibirskoye, after the liquidation of the town-forming enterprise "Usoliekhimprom", the socio-economic and demographic situation sharply worsened, and environmental problems accumulated since the 30s of the twentieth century aggravated. For the period 1990-2019, the city's population decreased by almost 30%. The study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the mortality rate of the male and female population of Usolye-Sibirskoye, the Irkutsk Oblast and Russia and assess the contribution of a certain age and gender groups (children, working-age, and post-working age) to the formation of super-mortality in the population. Materials and methods. The study base was the primary data of the Federal State Statistics Service (Table C-51 "The number of deaths by sex, age and specific causes of death" and 2PN "Population by sex and age"). We calculated the age-specific for 5-year age groups and age-standardized mortality rates from all causes of death separately for the male and female population of Usolye-Sibirskoye, Irkutsk Oblast and Russia for ten years (2010-2019) and traced them dynamics. Standardization was carried out by a direct method (the standard is the population of Russia according to the 2010 census). Considering the small population of the city and the resulting fluctuations in the mortality rate in individual years, to obtain stable indicators, we summarized the data on mortality for ten years (2010-2019) and calculated the average coefficients. We performed similar calculations for the region and country. We also assessed the contribution of certain age and gender groups (children, working and post-working ages) to the formation of excess mortality. Results. During 2010-2019 among the male and female populations of Usolye-Sibirskoye, Irkutsk Oblast and Russia, there was a steady decrease in mortality, but in the city, higher rates and slower rates of their decline were recorded compared to the region and the country. As a result, at the end of the observation period, the gap between the city's mortality rate and the compared territories increased even more. The most significant demographic losses occurred in the working age, where the average mortality rate for men and women over ten years was 28 and 37%, respectively, higher than the regional and 1.8 and 2.2 times the national average. Conclusion. Thus, the main contribution to the excess mortality of the population of Usolye-Sibirskoye is made by men and women of working age (from 53.6% to 72.5% depending on the comparison area), which, on the one hand, maybe a consequence of the influence of harmful and dangerous working conditions. In combination with a polluted environment, on the other hand, it may be due to the termination of the operation of a city-forming enterprise and the inevitable increase in unemployment and socio-economic tension in these conditions.

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The demographic and geographic impact of the COVID pandemic in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe in 2020

10.1101/2021.04.06.21254958 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Antoni Rangachev ◽

Georgi Marinov ◽

Mladen Mladenov

Keyword(s):

Mortality Rate ◽

Eastern Europe ◽

Excess Mortality ◽

European Countries ◽

Years Of Life Lost ◽

Medical Resources ◽

Mobility Data ◽

Working Age ◽

Eastern European Countries ◽

High Level

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic followed a unique trajectory in Eastern Europe compared to other heavily affected regions, with most countries there only experiencing a major surge of cases and deaths towards the end of 2020 after a relatively uneventful first half of the year. However, the consequences of that surge have not received as much attention as the situation in Western countries. Bulgaria, even though it has been one of the most heavily affected countries, has been one of those neglected cases. Methods: We use mortality and mobility data from Eurostat, official governmental and other sources to examine the development and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria and other European countries. Results: We find a very high level of excess mortality in Eastern European countries measured by several metrics including excess mortality rate (EMR), P-scores and potential years of life lost. By the last metric Eastern Europe emerges as the hardest hit region by the pandemic in Europe in 2020. With a record EMR at ~0.25% and a strikingly large and mostly unique to it mortality rate in the working age demographics, Bulgaria emerges as one of the most affected countries in Eastern Europe. The high excess mortality in Bulgaria correlates with insufficient intensity of testing and with delayed imposition of lockdown measures. We also find major geographic and demographic disparities within the country, with considerably lower mortality observed in major cities relative to more remote areas (likely due to disparities in the availability of medical resources). Analysis of the course of the epidemic revealed that individual mobility measures were predictive of the eventual decline in cases and deaths. However, while mobility declined as a result of the imposition of a lockdown, it already trended downwards before such measures were introduced, which resulted in a reduction of deaths independent of the effect of restrictions. Conclusions: Large excess mortality and high numbers of potential years of life lost are observed as a result of the COVID pandemic in Bulgaria, as well as in several other countries in Eastern Europe. Significant delays in the imposition of stringent mobility-reducing measures combined with a lack of medical resources likely caused a substantial loss of life, including in the working age population.

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