A retrospective assessment of COVID-19 vulnerability index indicators and mortality rates pre-COVID-19 (2018–2020) and during COVID-19 (2020–2022) in a health and demographic surveillance site, Soweto, South Africa
All-cause mortality during the COVID-19 era was significantly higher than the pre- COVID-19 period, with the increase observed across all vulnerability tertiles. It is important to identify vulnerable individuals and communities during the early stages of a pandemic to inform prioritisation of public health intervention.
Authors
- Sana Mahtab (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2606-6951)
- Takwanisa Machemedze (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9308-7525)
- Chodziwadziwa Kabudula (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5867-0336)
- Nellie Myburgh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2907-4591)
- Shabir Ahmed Madhi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7629-0636)
- Beth A. Tippett Barr (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5877-2968)
- Jean Juste Harrisson Bashingwa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1433-4397)
- Ziyaad Dangor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4089-147X)
- Cleopas Hwinya
Institutions
- South African Medical Research Council (ZA)
- University of the Witwatersrand (ZA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Population Health Metrics
- Published
- 2025-06-20
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12963-025-00387-9
- Primary Topic
- COVID-19 epidemiological studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- South African Medical Research Council
- University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
- Medical Research Council