The Risk of COVID-19 Death in Jamaica by Wave Period: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant healthcare, economic and social impacts. This study described characteristics of COVID-19 mortality and determined risk of COVID-19 death by wave period in Jamaica. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data on confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to the National Surveillance Unit from 5 August 2020 to 4 October 2022. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine odds of death by wave period, adjusting for age, sex and health region. 148,262 cases and 3654 COVID-19 deaths were included in the analysis. Increased odds of COVID-19 death were associated with male sex, age, and health region. Odds of death increased among males (OR:1.4, 95%CI: 1.3–1.5), residents in the Western health region (OR:1.4, 95%CI: 1.3–1.5) and persons ≥ 40 years (OR:18.2, 95%CI: 15.8–20.9). In comparison to Wave 4, odds of death were OR:3.4 (95%CI: 3.0–3.8) for Wave 3 and OR:2.6 (95%CI: 2.2–3.0) for Wave 1. Higher risk of death among males and older persons were observed across wave periods. Odds of death was greatest during Wave 3. This reinforces the need for responsive and adaptive health systems, as well as social and clinical interventions among high-risk groups.