EPIDEMIC MANIFESTATIONS OF COVID-19 IN THE VOLGOGRAD REGIONDURING THE 2020-2021 PERIOD

Abstract

Study objective. The researching of COVID-19 epidemic process features in the Volgograd region during 2020-2021. Materials and methods. The analvsis based on statistical data from the Office of Rospotrebnadzor in the Volgograd Region on the incidence of COVID-19 was carried out. The main research method is epidemiological analysis. Results and discussion. For the period from March 24, 2020 to September 6, 2021, 83 814 cases of SARS-Cov-2 infection were registered in the Volgograd Region, the incidence rate was 3 344.76 per 100 000 population (95 % CI: 3 321,97-3 367,55), case fatality rate - 2,77 %. In the development dynamics of COVID-19 epidemic process in the Volgograd region, three seasonal incidence increases are identified: April - June 2020 (relatively low), September 2020 - February 2021 (high), June 2021 - present (the highest). It is shown that the third rise in the incidence rate is caused by the combined effect of a number of factors - the intensification of seasonal migration, the spread of a new genetic variant of the pathogen ("delta" genovariant, B.1.617.2) and low vaccination coverage of the population. An excess of the regional average incidence rate (3 344,76) was established in 13 districts of the region, the most affected territories are Volgograd (40,3 % of the total number of cases), Volzhsky (15,7 %) and Kamyshinsky district (6,1 %). The distribution of cases by sex revealed the predominance of women (60,3 %) in all age groups, with the exception of 0-18 years old and 70 years and older. The greatest contribution to the incidence of COVID-19 over the entire observation period is made by the age groups 50-59 years (17,7 %) and 60-69 years (17,4 %). During the third wave of incidence, active involvement of the 0-18 age group in the epidemic process and a decrease in the proportion of people 60 and older were established. The clinical picture of the disease is characterized by the prevalence of the mild course of the disease (64,4 %), there is a tendency for the reduction of moderate and asymptomatic forms.