Excess Mortality during the COVID- 19 pandemic in Ecuador

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant mortality in the world and in Ecuador. This research aimed to analyze the excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador. Method: An observational, longitudinal, quantitative and descriptive study, classified as an ecological study in the field of epidemiology. This study focuses on measuring excess mortality during the years 2020, 2021 and 2022, using the average number of deaths that occurred in the period from 2015 to 2019 as the baseline. Results: From January 2020 to October 2022, Ecuador accumulated a total excess of deaths of 98,915. In 2020, the excess mortality was higher at 46,374, with the highest value occurring in April at 15,484. In 2021, the excess deaths amounted to 35,859, with April having the highest excess of 7,330. In 2022, the excess mortality was 16,682, with January recording the highest excess at 4,204. Conclusion: Evidence of underreporting of deaths, as well as temporal and geographical variations in excess mortality, was observed. The province with the highest number of deaths and excess mortality was Guayas, followed by Pichincha. The results provide an analysis of the situation during the health emergency, emphasizing the importance of evaluating the healthcare system's capacity to respond during times of crisis and the imperative need to implement corrective measures for the future.

Keywords

• covid-19
• deaths
• excess mortality
• pandemic