Quality-Adjusted Life-Years Lost Due to COVID-19 Mortality: Methods and Application for The Netherlands

Abstract

Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has increased mortality worldwide considerably in 2020. Nevertheless, it is unknown how the increase in mortality translates into a loss in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), which is a function of age and the health condition of the deceased patient at time of death. We estimate the QALYs lost in The Netherlands as a result of deaths because of COVID-19 in 2020. Methods As a starting point, we use estimates of underlying diseases and the number of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes as a proxy for underlying health status. In a next step, these are combined with estimates of excess mortality rates and quality of life for different groups to calculate QALYs lost. We compare the results with an alternative scenario, in which COVID-19 deaths occurred randomly across the population regardless of underlying conditions. For this alternative scenario, we use population mortality and average quality of life by age and sex. Results Accounting for underlying health status, we estimate that QALYs lost because of COVID-19 mortality are on average 3.9 per death for men and 3.5 for women. This is approximately 3.5 QALYs less than when not taking selective mortality into account. Given 16 308 excess deaths, this translates into 61 032 QALYs lost because of COVID-19. Conclusions We conclude that QALYs lost because of COVID-19 mortality are still substantial, even if mortality is strongly concentrated in people with poor health.

Model-based estimation of burden of COVID-19 with disability-adjusted life years and value of statistical life in West Bengal, India

“… 6 Some of the BoD estimates computed by researchers in Italy include 121 449 years with a total of €400 million productivity losses due to absenteeism and premature mortality, 20 2531 years from January 2020 to April 2020 in Korea of which the YLL had a major share of 89.7%, 24 305 641 years in Germany during 2020, 53 productivity losses of US$1 791 172 in Iran from March 2020 to July 2020, 54 83 853.0 and 56 628.3 years for males and females, respectively, in Kerala, India until June 2021 with the corresponding CPL of the cohorts being INR1 419 557 903.8 and INR278 275 495.3, 18 etc. QALY due to COVID-19 had been reported as 3.9 and 3.5 for the death of a male and a female, respectively, in the Netherlands, 55 ranging from 2295 to 4525 in Ukraine, 56 810 000 in the USA until July 2020, 57 etc.…”

Estimating the health impact of delayed elective care during the COVID -19 pandemic in the Netherlands

“…The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected morbidity and mortality worldwide ( Gebru et al, 2021 ; Vaughn et al, 2019 ; Wouterse et al, 2022 ). The care for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 patients) also affected access and delivery of regular care for non-COVID patients.…”

“…Although evidence on the disease burden of COVID-19 itself is accumulating ( John et al, 2021 ; Wouterse et al, 2022 ; Wyper et al, 2021 ; Grima et al, 2021 ), less is known about the impact of delayed treatments for non-COVID patients. Various estimates on the quantity of delayed hospital care in numerous countries are available ( Ball et al, 2020 ; Barach et al, 2020 ; Ciarleglio et al, 2021 ; COVIDSurg Collaborative, 2020 ; World Health Organization, 2021 ; Truche et al, 2021 ; Kutluk et al, 2021 ).…”

Innovative technology for rapid molecular diagnostics: COVID-19 and other respiratory tract infections

“…The United Nations International Labour Organization estimated that there was an 8.3% decline in global labor income in 2020, equivalent to 4.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) or $3. Delayed COVID -19 diagnoses, for example due to prolonged turnaround times or limited capacity of central laboratories performing RT-PCR tests, delay the treatment of severe cases and increase mortality [3]. Understanding the health lost to COVID-19 mortality is important for P r e p r i n t policy makers because it can help determine the impact of actions taken to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic.…”

“…Wouterse et al suggest that even when mortality is concentrated among people with poorer health, the average number of QALYs (quality-adjusted life year) lost per COVID-19 death may be substantial. Taking into account the health status of people who died from COVID-19, we arrive at an estimate of approximately 3.9 lost QALYs per male COVID-19 death and 3.5 lost QALYs per female COVID-19 death [3].…”