Distribution of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Europe during the first 12 peak weeks of outbreak.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to identify similar WHO European countries in COVID-19 incidence and mortality rate during the first 12 peak weeks of pandemic outbreak to find out whether exact coherent parts of Europe were more affected than others, and to set relationship between age and higher COVID-19 mortality rate. METHODS: COVID-19 cases and deaths from 28 February to 21 May 2020 of 37 WHO European countries were aggregated into 12 consecutive weeks. The fuzzy C-means clustering was performed to identify similar countries in COVID-19 incidence and mortality rate. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient and log-log linear regression analyses were performed to set up relation between COVID-19 mortality rate and age. Mann-Whitney (Wilcoxon) test was used to explore differences between countries possessing higher mortality rate and age. RESULTS: Based on the highest value of the coefficient of overall separation five clusters of similar countries were identified for incidence rate, mortality rate and in total. Analysis according to weeks offered trends where progress of COVID-19 incidence and mortality rate was visible. Pearson coefficient (0.69) suggested moderately strong connection between mortality rate and age, Mann-Whitney (Wilcoxon) test proved statistically significant differences between countries experiencing higher mortality rate and age vs. countries having both indicators lower (p < 0.001). Log-log linear regression analysis defined every increase in life expectancy at birth in total by 1% meant growth in mortality rate by 22% (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Spain, Belgium and Ireland, closely followed by Sweden and Great Britain were identified as the worst countries in terms of incidence and mortality rate in the monitored period. Luxembourg, Belarus and Moldova accompanied the group of the worst countries in terms of incidence rate and Italy, France and the Netherland in terms of mortality rate. Correlation analysis and the Mann-Whitney (Wilcoxon) test proved statistically significant positive relationship between mortality rate and age. Log-log linear regression analysis proved that higher age accelerated the growth of mortality rate.

Long term correlation between cancer and cardiovascular deaths according to various trends in Slovak districts 1994-2003.

The aim of the article was to point out recorded cardiovascular deaths did not copy the real number of cardiovascular deaths, but may also include other causes of deaths. We evaluated all death notifications reported to the Statistical Office of the Slovak republic during the 10-year period, that is 519,680 cases in total. We analysed the year of death, location of death and the cause of death. The causes of deaths were split into three groups: cancer deaths, cardiovascular deaths (CVD) and other deaths. We used the fuzzy c cluster analysis and the basic epidemiological and statistical methods for the evaluation. We uncovered some Slovak districts had long-term higher mortality (Lucenec, Rimavská Sobota, Roznava, Trebisov and Krupina), as well as the other districts having the long-term lower mortality (Bratislava, Kosice, almost all Zilina region, Poprad, Spisská Nová Ves and Dunajská Streda). The cancer and cardiovascular deaths significantly correlated in terms of the Slovak districts. Evaluating the mutual causes of death proportion we identified two groups of Slovak districts; the first group of districts showing higher CVD deaths had lower cancer and other deaths, the second having higher proportion of cancer and other deaths reached the lower CVD deaths. It seems deaths have the similar pattern throughout the whole country, and the numerical differences are probably given only by the quality and the quantity of the death certification.