Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mortality Rates and Patterns

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected mortality from many causes. In recent years, mortality rates in the Irkutsk Region have exceeded the Russian national averages. 
Objective: To analyze changes in mortality rates and the structure of causes of death in the Irkutsk Region before the pandemic of the novel coronavirus disease and after its onset. 
Materials and methods: We compared the Irkutsk regional mortality rates and causes of death with those registered in the population of the Siberian Federal District and the Russian Federation in 2010–2019, prior to the pandemic, and in the year 2020. 
Results: In 2010–2019, the all-cause mortality rate in the Irkutsk Region decreased by 8.6 %, while those from diseases of the respiratory system and injury and poisonings dropped by 45.1 % and 33.6 %, respectively. In 2020, COVID-19 ranked fourth in the causes of death structure while death rates from all causes, diseases of the respiratory, digestive, endocrine, and nervous systems demonstrated a statistical increase. In total, the regional mortality rate from infectious diseases and COVID-19 in 2020 was 162.9 per 100,000 population ranking third in the structure of causes of death and inferior only to diseases of the circulatory system and neoplasms. 
Conclusion: We have traced the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all-cause mortality in the general population and on deaths from specific causes, directly or indirectly related to the novel coronavirus disease. In 2020, the regional trend towards an increase in life expectancy was interrupted.