Open AccessNon-communicable diseases and inequalities increase risk of death among COVID-19 patients in Mexico
Author(s) -
Juan Pablo Gutiérrez,
Stefano Bertozzi
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0240394
Subject(s) - environmental health , pandemic , socioeconomic status , medicine , covid-19 , poverty , odds , non communicable disease , public health , logistic regression , economic growth , population , disease , nursing , infectious disease (medical specialty) , economics
Background The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic compounds Mexico’s pre-existing challenges: very high levels of both non-communicable diseases (NCD) and social inequity. Methods and findings Using data from national reporting of SARS-CoV-2 tested individuals, we estimated odds of hospitalization, intubation, and death based on pre-existing non-communicable diseases and socioeconomic indicators. We found that obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are positively associated with the three outcomes in a synergistic manner. The municipal poverty level is also positively associated with hospitalization and death. Conclusions Mexico’s response to COVID-19 is complicated by a synergistic double challenge: raging NCDs and extreme social inequity. The response to the current pandemic must take both into account both to be effective and to ensure that the burden of COVID-19 not falls disproportionately on those who are already disadvantaged.