Impact of COVID-19 on Affected Individuals in Iraq Focusing on Deceased Cancer Patients.

PURPOSE: Mortality because of COVID-19 infections is continuously increasing among the high-risk groups, namely, elderly patients and those with underlying comorbidities including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, respiratory problems, and cancer. The study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on affected individuals in Iraq, focusing on the characteristics of COVID-19 deceased cases, with special emphasis on cancer as the associated comorbidity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective review of the data collected from 15,852 case investigation records of deceased patients with COVID-19, from all over Iraq, between March 20, 2020, and December 20, 2021. The analyzed variables included patients' age, sex, duration of stay in hospital, use of mechanical ventilation, and associated morbidities. Comparisons of having comorbidities and cancer with the characteristics were carried out using the chi-square test of independence. The chi-square test of goodness of fit was used to describe the distribution of the characteristics of the deceased COVID-19 patients; P values < .05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Overall, 62% were ≥ 60 years with a predominance of male (63.2%). Patients with cancer were significantly younger (41.5% were ≥ 60) with no difference concerning sex distribution. Almost 70% of patients who died from COVID-19 infection had associated comorbidities. Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and cancer constituted 49.7%, 39.3%, 2.9%, and 1.1%, respectively. Patients with a history of cancer had a significantly longer duration of stay in hospital with no statistical association regarding the use of ventilation. CONCLUSION: In Iraq, patients with cancer infected with COVID-19 were younger and spent longer durations in the hospital before they died than patients with other comorbidities. The pandemic has revealed significant gaps in the health information and surveillance systems that demand prompt strengthening as part of the emergency preparedness.

Iraq experience in handling the COVID-19 pandemic: implications of public health challenges and lessons learned for future epidemic preparedness planning.

BACKGROUND: Iraq has been exceptionally challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the already exhausted healthcare system. OBJECTIVES: To describe the epidemiological situation of COVID-19 in Iraq, the government's response to the pandemic, and provide recommendations for further action. METHODS: A desk review of secondary data using the available reports on the epidemiological situation in Iraq as well as official governmental sources was conducted. RESULTS: The major surge in the number of COVID-19 cases occurred in the first week of June and continued to increase dramatically until mid-October when a significant decrease happened. With a few exceptions, the reproductive number R has been consistently above 1. Patients aged 30-39 years (25.6%) were the most affected, while those aged 60-69 years (26.7%) had the highest deaths rates. Iraq tried to contain the pandemic through several regulations: border control, enforcing curfew, mask-wearing, and social distancing, COVID-19 isolation centers, expanding lab capacity, contact tracing, as well as several supportive economic measures. However, the extent of implementing these regulations is questionable. CONCLUSION: Additional administrative and scientific measures with special emphasis on handling mass gathering, coordination with media and better training of healthcare workers particularly on infection prevention and control.