The Mortality Rate and Years of Life Lost due to COVID-19 in Southwestern Iran

Background: COVID-19 emerged in China for the first time, and spread rapidly in the world and in Iran. It caused the death of many people. This study was performed to estimate the years of life lost due to COVID-19 in southwestern Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, deaths due to COVID-19 were investigated from February 20, 2020 to November 20, 2020 in southwestern Iran. Descriptive analyses included: sex ratio of deaths, mean and standard deviation of quantitative variable of age at the time of death, and specific ages-sex mortality rates. Years of life lost due to COVID-19 were estimated using standard life expectancy and lifetime table of the World Health Organization in 2015. Results: The number of deaths due to COVID-19 was 938 cases. The sex ratio of mortality (male to female) was 1.2, and the people over the age of 80 years had the highest mortality rates in both sexes. The total number of years of life lost was 13205 years, and the 60-69 age group had the highest years of life lost. Conclusion: Based on the findings of our study, health policymakers need to implement timely strategies and plans to reduce deaths especially for the possibleadvent of the next wave of COVID-19.