[Geographies of mortality from COVID-19 in Argentina: social and urban-rural inequalities in different waves of spread].

Abstract

We analyzed the socio-spatial and urban-rural inequalities of COVID-19 mortality between four waves of spread in Argentina, during 2020-2022. A retrospective ecological study design was used considering the population residing in Argentina, and analyzing two populations: up to 59 years and 60+ years. The spatial units were the departments. Bayesian hierarchical models were estimated to analyze the association between mortality risk and the percentage of households with unmet basic needs (UBN) and population density. There were different geographies of COVID-19 mortality among the four waves. The percentage of households with UBN was only inversely associated with the risk of mortality from COVID-19 during the second wave and in the 60+ year-old population (RR = 0.82, CI: 0.72-0.93). High values of population density were associated with high mortality risks only in the first wave (0-59 years: RR = 2.57, CI: 1.81-3.67; 60+ years: RR = 2.70, CI: 2.01-3.64), mainly affecting Greater Buenos Aires. Some linear geographic distributions of mortality suggest the spread of SARS-CoV-2 through national routes in the central region of the country. Our findings do not show evidence of an unequal distribution of mortality towards the most socioeconomically relegated regions of Argentina.