COVID-19 pandemic in Taiz Governorate, Yemen, between 2020 and 2023
Wadhah Hassan Edrees, Qais Yusuf Abdullah, Wadee Abdullah Al-Shehari, Lutf Mohammed Alrahabi, Amani Ahmed Fadel Khardesh
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is highly contagious and causes a series of health problems, particularly in Yemen, which has a fragile healthcare system and cannot handle public health emergencies. AIMS: This analysis aimed to determine the epidemiological status of COVID-19 in the Taiz governorate between April 2020 and December 2023. METHODS: A retrospective study based on surveillance data from the Taiz governorate was used. The required data were gathered from the Ministry of Health and Population in Aden and analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: Out of 5826 suspected of COVID-19 cases, 1933 (33.18%) cases were positive for COVID-19 infection. The high rates of COVID-19 cases were reported at 35.40% in males, 37.80% in people aged 35-44 years, 47.20% in 2020, 72.73% in Dhubab district, and 27.78% in March 2021. The overall incidence rate of cases was reported at 6.2 per 10,000 people in Taiz governorate (8.85 in males and 3.80 in females). In addition, the high incidence rate of COVID-19 was observed among age groups ≥ 65 years, in 2021, and in Al-Mukha districts. In total, the rate of fatality cases was 14.12%, the higher rate of fatality cases was 15.46% among males and 32.23% among individuals aged ≥ 65 years, and 26.97% in 2020. CONCLUSION: In this finding, the incidence rate of COVID-19 is high. It is necessary to increase the public's awareness of the transmission and prevention methods of COVID-19, as well as implement appropriate strategies to protect populations from infectious diseases.