The Spread of Infectious Diseases and Mortality of the Ussr Urban Population During the Great Patriotic War
Year: 2023
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The article examines the morbidity dynamics of the urban population during the Great Patriotic War. The year-to-year data on the number of cases of citizens with typhoid, typhus and recurrent typhus, malaria, dysentery, measles, scarlet fever, diphtheria, whooping cough, toxic dyspepsia, acute gastroenterocolitis are presented. The dynamics of these diseases during the war years is analyzed. A reduction in cases of gastrointestinal diseases is shown. In case of diseases with a predominantly airborne transmission mechanism there was adherence to natural cycles of morbidity changes, with a weak effect of medical measures on them. The spread of typhus was caused by the processes of evacuation and deportation, including prisoners of war. An increased proportion of urban morbidity with a number of infections is noted. The analysis of anti-epidemic activity of health care system is carried out. In accordance with the teachings of L. V. Gromashevsky, measures are identified against each of the links of the epidemic process. The sanitary activity of healthcare is considered, data on the scale of vaccination and phaging of the population are given, and the dynamics of hospitalization of patients is analyzed. Conclusions are drawn about the level of their effectiveness. Much attention is paid to the analysis of the mortality dynamics of infectious patients during the war years. The influence of morbidity dynamics on the change in the structure of causes of mortality, as well as the reduction of mortality of the urban population is determined. It is concluded that the change in the incidence rate during the war years, primarily with gastrointestinal diseases, as well as a decrease in mortality from them, became the basis for the formation of an endogenous mortality structure.
Source: Ural Historical Journal
Author: Mikhail A. Semenov
Institution: Institute of History
Language: English
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4381663641