The direct disease burden of COVID-19 in Belgium in 2020 and 2021
Abstract Background Burden of disease estimates have become important population health metrics over the past decade to measure losses in health. In Belgium, the disease burden caused by COVID-19 has not yet been estimated, although COVID-19 has emerged as one of the most important diseases. Therefo...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-09-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16572-0 |
| _version_ | 1797451138808676352 |
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| author | Brecht Devleesschauwer Lander Willem Jure Jurčević Pierre Smith Aline Scohy Grant M. A. Wyper Sara Monteiro Pires Nina Van Goethem Philippe Beutels Nicolas Franco Steven Abrams Dieter Van Cauteren Niko Speybroeck Niel Hens Robby De Pauw |
| author_facet | Brecht Devleesschauwer Lander Willem Jure Jurčević Pierre Smith Aline Scohy Grant M. A. Wyper Sara Monteiro Pires Nina Van Goethem Philippe Beutels Nicolas Franco Steven Abrams Dieter Van Cauteren Niko Speybroeck Niel Hens Robby De Pauw |
| author_sort | Brecht Devleesschauwer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Burden of disease estimates have become important population health metrics over the past decade to measure losses in health. In Belgium, the disease burden caused by COVID-19 has not yet been estimated, although COVID-19 has emerged as one of the most important diseases. Therefore, the current study aims to estimate the direct COVID-19 burden in Belgium, observed despite policy interventions, during 2020 and 2021, and compare it to the burden from other causes. Methods Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are the sum of Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) and Years of Life Lost (YLLs) due to disease. DALYs allow comparing the burden of disease between countries, diseases, and over time. We used the European Burden of Disease Network consensus disease model for COVID-19 to estimate DALYs related to COVID-19. Estimates of person-years for (a) acute non-fatal disease states were calculated from a compartmental model, using Belgian seroprevalence, social contact, hospital, and intensive care admission data, (b) deaths were sourced from the national COVID-19 mortality surveillance, and (c) chronic post-acute disease states were derived from a Belgian cohort study. Results In 2020, the total number of COVID-19 related DALYs was estimated at 253,577 [252,541 − 254,739], which is higher than in 2021, when it was 139,281 [136,704 − 142,306]. The observed COVID-19 burden was largely borne by the elderly, and over 90% of the burden was attributable to premature mortality (i.e., YLLs). In younger people, morbidity (i.e., YLD) contributed relatively more to the DALYs, especially in 2021, when vaccination was rolled out. Morbidity was mainly attributable to long-lasting post-acute symptoms. Conclusion COVID-19 had a substantial impact on population health in Belgium, especially in 2020, when COVID-19 would have been the main cause of disease burden if all other causes had maintained their 2019 level. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:50:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-92cccfdac4a142519288b0a2b6348698 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:50:30Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-92cccfdac4a142519288b0a2b63486982023-11-26T14:29:38ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582023-09-0123111110.1186/s12889-023-16572-0The direct disease burden of COVID-19 in Belgium in 2020 and 2021Brecht Devleesschauwer0Lander Willem1Jure Jurčević2Pierre Smith3Aline Scohy4Grant M. A. Wyper5Sara Monteiro Pires6Nina Van Goethem7Philippe Beutels8Nicolas Franco9Steven Abrams10Dieter Van Cauteren11Niko Speybroeck12Niel Hens13Robby De Pauw14Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, SciensanoDepartment of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of AntwerpDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, SciensanoDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, SciensanoDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, SciensanoSchool of Health & Wellbeing, University of GlasgowNational Food Institute, Technical University of DenmarkDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, SciensanoCentre for Health Economic Research and Modelling Infectious Diseases (CHERMID), Vaccine & Infectious Disease Institute, University of AntwerpData Science Institute, Interuniversity Institute of Biostatistics and statistical Bioinformatics (I-BioStat), UHasseltDepartment of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of AntwerpDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, SciensanoInstitute of Health and Society, Université catholique de LouvainCentre for Health Economic Research and Modelling Infectious Diseases (CHERMID), Vaccine & Infectious Disease Institute, University of AntwerpDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, SciensanoAbstract Background Burden of disease estimates have become important population health metrics over the past decade to measure losses in health. In Belgium, the disease burden caused by COVID-19 has not yet been estimated, although COVID-19 has emerged as one of the most important diseases. Therefore, the current study aims to estimate the direct COVID-19 burden in Belgium, observed despite policy interventions, during 2020 and 2021, and compare it to the burden from other causes. Methods Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are the sum of Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) and Years of Life Lost (YLLs) due to disease. DALYs allow comparing the burden of disease between countries, diseases, and over time. We used the European Burden of Disease Network consensus disease model for COVID-19 to estimate DALYs related to COVID-19. Estimates of person-years for (a) acute non-fatal disease states were calculated from a compartmental model, using Belgian seroprevalence, social contact, hospital, and intensive care admission data, (b) deaths were sourced from the national COVID-19 mortality surveillance, and (c) chronic post-acute disease states were derived from a Belgian cohort study. Results In 2020, the total number of COVID-19 related DALYs was estimated at 253,577 [252,541 − 254,739], which is higher than in 2021, when it was 139,281 [136,704 − 142,306]. The observed COVID-19 burden was largely borne by the elderly, and over 90% of the burden was attributable to premature mortality (i.e., YLLs). In younger people, morbidity (i.e., YLD) contributed relatively more to the DALYs, especially in 2021, when vaccination was rolled out. Morbidity was mainly attributable to long-lasting post-acute symptoms. Conclusion COVID-19 had a substantial impact on population health in Belgium, especially in 2020, when COVID-19 would have been the main cause of disease burden if all other causes had maintained their 2019 level.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16572-0Burden of diseaseCOVID-19Disability-adjusted life yearsYears of life lostYears lived with disability |
| spellingShingle | Brecht Devleesschauwer Lander Willem Jure Jurčević Pierre Smith Aline Scohy Grant M. A. Wyper Sara Monteiro Pires Nina Van Goethem Philippe Beutels Nicolas Franco Steven Abrams Dieter Van Cauteren Niko Speybroeck Niel Hens Robby De Pauw The direct disease burden of COVID-19 in Belgium in 2020 and 2021 BMC Public Health Burden of disease COVID-19 Disability-adjusted life years Years of life lost Years lived with disability |
| title | The direct disease burden of COVID-19 in Belgium in 2020 and 2021 |
| title_full | The direct disease burden of COVID-19 in Belgium in 2020 and 2021 |
| title_fullStr | The direct disease burden of COVID-19 in Belgium in 2020 and 2021 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The direct disease burden of COVID-19 in Belgium in 2020 and 2021 |
| title_short | The direct disease burden of COVID-19 in Belgium in 2020 and 2021 |
| title_sort | direct disease burden of covid 19 in belgium in 2020 and 2021 |
| topic | Burden of disease COVID-19 Disability-adjusted life years Years of life lost Years lived with disability |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16572-0 |
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