Short-term interventions to suppress COVID-19 completely dominate the public, political and even the professional discussion on what explains observed differences in mortality and morbidity across countries. This leads to an exaggerated view of what such measures can accomplish. Factors such as housing and social conditions as well as travel patterns are equally important but neglected aspects of the COVID-19 development. A multifactorial disease needs a multivariate analytical approach.
FullerJAHakimAVictoryKR, et al. CDC COVID-19 response team. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep2021;70:58–62.
2.
FlaxmanSMishraSGandyA, et al. Imperial College COVID-19 response team. Nature2020;584.
3.
PanchettiMMariniBGiudiciF, et al. Impact of lockdown on COVID-19 case fatality rate and viral mutations spread in 7 countries in Europe and North America. J Transl Med2020;18:338.
4.
HradskyOKomarekA.Demographic and public health characteristics explain large part of variability in COVID-19 mortality across countries. Eur J Public Health2021;31:12–6.
5.
CevikMMarcusJLBuckeeC, et al. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission dynamics should inform policy. Clin Infect Dis2020;55:105924.
6.
FedergruenANahaS.Crowding effects dominate demographic attributes in COVID-19 cases. Int J Infect Dis2021;102:509–16.
7.
BrandénMArahyaSKolkM, et al. Residential context and COVID-19 mortality among adults aged 70 years and older in Stockholm: a population-based, observational study using individual-level data. Lancet Healthy Longev2020;1:e80–8.
8.
RostilaMCederströmAWallaceM, et al. Disparities in covid-19 deaths by country of birth in Stockholm, Sweden: a total population based cohort study. Am J Epidemiol. Epub ahead of print 12 March 2021. DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwab057.
9.
MartinCAJenkinsDRMinhasJS, et al. Socio-demographic heterogeneity in the prevalence of COVID-19 during lockdown is associated with ethnicity and household size: results from an observational cohort study. EClinicalMedicine2020;25:100466.
10.
HolmagerTLLyngeEKannCE, et al. Geography of COVID-19 in Denmark. Scand J Public Health2021;49:88–95.
11.
RypdalKRypdalM.A parsimonious description and cross-country analysis of COVID-19 epidemic curves. Int J Environ Res Public Health2020;17:6487.
12.
MossongJHensNJitM, et al. Social contacts and mixing patterns relevant to the spread of infectious diseases. PLoS Med2008;5:e74.
13.
BjörkJMattissonKAhlbomA.Excess mortality across regions of Europe during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic – impact of the winter holiday travelling and governmental responses. Eur J Public Health2021;31:272–7.
