Excess mortality in Ecuador during the COVID-19 pandemic: historical comparison

ABSTRACT

This research is an epidemiological analysis that seeks to apply the General Excess Mortality as indicator that complements the COVID-19 surveillance strategy during the first 15 months of the pandemic in Ecuador. The selection of data from the Ecuadorian Institute of Statistics and Censuses and Civil Registry allowed the identification of an excess of 163,595 absolute deaths, which represents 42.80% of the excess of national general mortality, with April being the most affected month with a 249%. of excess global mortality compared to the following months. Santa Elena and Guayas are the provinces with the highest excess mortality recorded historically with 935% followed by 674% respectively. There is a direct correlation between the estimate of excess mortality with the mortality rates by province. Administrative planning zone 9 was the one that registered the highest excess mortality with 100%. The pattern of influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population was different between geographic regions, with the Ecuadorian coast being the first to present excess general mortality, followed by the mountains and eastern regions.