The impact of influenza epidemics on mortality

Introducing a severity index

Bibliographic Data

ID11034890
AuthorsLone Simonsen (0000-0003-1535-8526, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), Matthew Clarke (0000-0002-8750-4521), M J CLARKE, G David Williamson, Donna F Stroup (0000-0003-1699-4671), Nancy H Arden, LAWRENCE B SCHONBERGER
Year1997
Volume87
Issue12
Pages1944-1950
Publication date1997-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.87.12.1944
PMID9431281
OpenAlexW2081797984
LanguageEN
Citations received20
References cited13

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of recent influenza epidemics on mortality in the United States and to develop an index for comparing the severity of individual epidemics. METHODS: A cyclical regression model was applied to weekly national vital statistics from 1972 through 1992 to estimate excesses in pneumonia and influenza mortality and all-cause mortality for each influenza season. Each season was categorized on the basis of increments of 2000 pneumonia and influenza excess deaths, and each of these severity categories was correlated with a range of all-cause excess mortality. RESULTS: Each of the 20 influenza seasons studied was associated with an average of 5600 pneumonia and influenza excess deaths (range, 0-11,800) and 21,300 all-cause excess deaths (range, 0-47,200). Most influenza A(H3N2) seasons fell into severity categories 4 to 6 (23,000-45,000 all-cause excess deaths), whereas most A(H1N1) and B seasons were ranked in categories 1 to 3 (0-23,000 such deaths). CONCLUSIONS: From 1972 through 1992, influenza epidemics accounted for a total of 426,000 deaths in the United States, many times more than those associated with recent pandemics. The influenza epidemic severity index was useful for categorizing severity and provided improved seasonal estimates of the total number of influenza-related deaths

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) · Disease · Environmental health · Excess mortality · Human mortality from H5N1 · Infectious disease (medical specialty) · Influenza pandemic · Pandemic · Pneumonia · Population · COVID-19 epidemiological studies · Demography · Epidemiology · Influenza Virus Research Studies · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Respiratory viral infections research

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