Characteristics of Epidemic Waves during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 10 Regions of the Siberian and Far Eastern Federal Districts

The aim of the work was to analyze the dynamics of the epidemic process and characterize the waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in 10 entities of the Siberian and Far Eastern Federal Districts. Materials and methods. A retrospective epidemiological analysis of weekly monitoring data of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases, provided by the Rospotrebnadzor Administrations in ten regions of the Siberian and Far Eastern Federal Districts of the Russian Federation (Altai, Buryatia, Tuva and Khakassia Republics; Altai, Trans-Baikal and Krasnoyarsk Territories; Irkutsk, Kemerovo and Tomsk Regions), was conducted. Results and discussion. The import of new coronavirus infection from Western European countries to the territory of the Siberian and Far Eastern Federal Districts was registered in mid-March 2020. During the pandemic, 20,888,479 cases of COVID-19 were registered in 10 entities of 2 federal districts of the country. The COVID-19 incidence was characterized by a wave-like course of the epidemic process. The dynamics of the epidemic process and the features of seven pandemic waves of varying intensity and duration are described. People over 18 years of age were more likely to become ill, with mild and moderate forms predominating, and infection primarily occurring in households. The wave-like nature of the incidence was associated with the consistent variability and change of the dominant genovariant of SARS-CoV-2. The World Health Organization declared the lifting of the public health emergency of international concern when the seventh wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 10 regions of the Siberian and Far Eastern Federal Districts was at its plateau.