Abstract:
Introduction Since the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, there seems to be scarce data targeting the comparison of epidemiological data among different countries. In an attempt to reveal and characterize the epidemiological profile in the Balkan peninsula, a cross-sectional study has been conducted, aiming to retrospectively collect all the existing information regarding the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic over a period of three years, starting from March 2020 until March 2023. The comparative analysis of the epidemiological features and the main indicators between Romania and Greece can generate a good overview of the factors that can influence public health and create an adequate system of measures to limit the COVID-19 pandemic in the area. A retrospective comparative study aiming to detect and associate the main indicators determining the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic data with the control measures adopted in Romania and Greece was performed. Methods Publicly available data were obtained from official sources such as the World Health Organization, the European Centre for Disease Control, the Romanian and Greek Ministries of Health, and the Romanian National Centre for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases. The reported number of cases, in total and in conjunction with the age distribution, total number of deaths, and vaccination coverage, from the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 until March 2023, were collected. All officially reported cases of COVID-19 were included in this analysis. Reports with missing or incomplete values regarding the timeframe, age distribution, and vaccination status were excluded. Results During the timeframe of the study, from March 2020 until March 2023, Greece reported a higher number of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases as compared to Romania (5,910,103 cases and 3,352,356 cases, respectively). Still, in terms of the overall death toll, Romania recorded a higher mortality rate than Greece during the pandemic (67.773 deaths vs. 36.372 deaths). Concerning both cumulative incidence rates and the 14-day case notification rate per 100.000 inhabitants, it is evident that Romania exhibited greater numbers throughout the course of the pandemic. Although it is not clearly stated, the compulsory vaccination of elderly people that was set as a high priority in Greece may have contributed to the above results. In terms of the 14-day death notification rate per 100.000 inhabitants in 2020 and 2021, Romania showed a higher rate than Greece, while Greece reported a greater rate in 2022 and up until March 2023. Between 2020 and 2023, Greece presented both a higher number of vaccinated individuals and a higher vaccination coverage with two doses (7,034,695 individuals, 70% of the general population), as compared to Romania (6,467,804 individuals, 33.68% of the general population, p<0.0001). Conclusions Despite the similar restrictions and preventive actions adopted by Romania and Greece, some of the epidemiological data between the two countries tends to differ. It must not be ignored that every nation should be considered a unique entity with distinct features, including individuals, customs, and policies, rather than being categorized with other countries based on geographic proximity or regionalization.
摘要:
引言自从SARS-CoV-2大流行爆发以来,似乎缺乏针对不同国家之间流行病学数据比较的数据。为了揭示和描述巴尔干半岛的流行病学特征,进行了横断面研究,旨在回顾性收集三年来有关SARS-CoV-2大流行的所有现有信息,从2020年3月开始至2023年3月。对罗马尼亚和希腊之间的流行病学特征和主要指标的比较分析可以很好地概述可能影响公共卫生的因素,并建立适当的措施体系来限制该地区的COVID-19大流行。进行了一项回顾性比较研究,旨在检测并将确定SARS-CoV-2大流行数据演变的主要指标与罗马尼亚和希腊采取的控制措施相关联。方法公开数据来自世界卫生组织等官方来源,欧洲疾病控制中心,罗马尼亚和希腊卫生部,和罗马尼亚国家传染病监测和控制中心。报告的病例数,总的来说,结合年龄分布,总死亡人数,和疫苗接种覆盖率,从2020年3月大流行开始到2023年3月,都收集了。所有官方报告的COVID-19病例均纳入本分析。关于时间范围的值缺失或不完整的报告,年龄分布,和疫苗接种状态被排除.结果在研究期间,从2020年3月到2023年3月,希腊报告的SARS-CoV-2确诊病例数高于罗马尼亚(5,910,103例和3,352,356例,分别)。尽管如此,就总死亡人数而言,罗马尼亚在大流行期间的死亡率高于希腊(67.773例死亡与36.372人死亡)。关于累积发病率和每100.000名居民14天病例通报率,很明显,罗马尼亚在整个大流行过程中表现出更多的人数。虽然没有明确说明,在希腊被列为高度优先事项的老年人强制接种疫苗可能促成了上述结果.就2020年和2021年每100.000名居民14天死亡通知率而言,罗马尼亚的死亡通知率高于希腊,而希腊在2022年和2023年3月之前报告了更高的利率。在2020年至2023年之间,希腊提供了更多的疫苗接种人数和更高的两剂疫苗接种覆盖率(7,034,695人,占总人口的70%),与罗马尼亚(6,467,804人相比,占总人口的33.68%,p<0.0001)。结论尽管罗马尼亚和希腊采取了类似的限制和预防措施,两国之间的一些流行病学数据往往有所不同。不容忽视的是,每个国家都应被视为具有鲜明特征的独特实体,包括个人,海关,和政策,而不是根据地理接近度或区域化与其他国家进行分类。