Age- & sex-specific infection fatality ratios for COVID-19 estimated from two serially conducted community-based serosurveys, Chennai, India, 2020.
Indian J Med Res
; 153(5&6): 546-549, 2021 05.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1413893
ABSTRACT
Background & objectives:
Infection fatality ratio (IFR) is considered a more robust and reliable indicator than case fatality ratio for severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Age- and sex-stratified IFRs are crucial to guide public health response. Infections estimated through representative community-based serosurveys would gauge more accurate IFRs than through modelling studies. We describe age- and sex-stratified IFR for COVID-19 estimated through serosurveys conducted in Chennai, India.Methods:
Two community-based serosurveys were conducted among individuals aged ≥10 yr during July and October 2020 in 51 of the 200 wards spread across 15 zones of Chennai. Total number of SARS-CoV-2 infections were estimated by multiplying the total population of the city aged ≥10 yr with the weighted seroprevalence and IFR was calculated by dividing the number of deaths with the estimated number of infections.Results:
IFR was 17.3 [95% confidence interval (CI) 14.1-21.6] and 16.6 (95% CI 13.8-20.2) deaths/10,000 infections during July and October 2020, respectively. Individuals aged 10-19 years had the lowest IFR [first serosurvey (R1) 0.2/10,000, 95% CI 0.2-0.3 and second serosurvey (R2) 0.2/10,000, 95% CI 0.1-0.2], and it increased with age and was highest among individuals aged above 60 yr (R1 140.0/10,000, 95% CI 107.0-183.8 and R2 111.2/10,000, 95% CI 89.2-142.0). Interpretation &conclusions:
Our findings suggested that the IFR increased with age and was high among the elderly. Therefore, elderly population need to be prioritized for public health interventions including vaccination, frequent testing in long-term care facilities and old age homes, close clinical monitoring of the infected and promoting strict adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Topics:
Vaccines
Limits:
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Journal:
Indian J Med Res
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Ijmr.IJMR_365_21
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