Impact of Lifestyle Alteration on Non-COVID Deaths by Prevention Measures in the Region with a Low COVID-19 Transmission Rate

Background: The increase of all-cause mortality in the areas with high COVID-19 transmission rate due to COVID-19 deaths and the collateral damage to other healthcare problems is well-known. However, the COVID-19 mortality is low in the regions with a low transmission rate and sufficient medical resources. In such regions, strict prevention measures altered people’s lifestyle and hygienic habits and had an impact on non-COVID-19 deaths. Yet, this aspect needs to be elucidated further. Methods: The number of registered deaths among 8.8 million permanent residents with specific causes from January 2018 to June 2020 were estimated. Death rates were calculated and compared by weeks, months, seasons and years with a focus on the period of the COVID-19 pandemic from January 24 to March 27, 2020. The numerical values of all-cause death and the death rates of non-COVID diseases were compared in various time points. Findings: During the pandemic in Xuzhou region, a total of 79 COVID-19 infected patients were diagnosed and treated. Meanwhile, stringent public health measures were taken to contain the virus transmission. Surprisingly, mortalities of all-cause casualty, respiratory disorders, cerebrovascular disease, and cardiovascular disease are consistently lower than those in the same periods in 2018 and 2019. Moreover, the first two weeks in the lunar new year presented the highest death rates from 2018–2020 and lowest in 2020 due to COVID-19 control. The traffic death dropped significantly, while mortality of mental health disorders and out-of-hospital sudden death significantly increased during the pandemic time. Interpretation: Control strategies in the region of low SARS-CoV-2 transmission rate during the COVID-19 outbreak alter the lifestyles of people and further exert an impact on non-COVID deaths, which could have a practical value in guiding clinical work and future management of chronic diseases. Funding Statement: Xuzhou Talent Fellowship Program 2019 Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the affiliated hospital of Xuzhou Medical University.