The COVID-19 epidemic is wreaking havoc on the health of the world's population and causing heavy economic losses. At the beginning of the pandemic (spring-summer 2020), the Samara region was in 6th place out of 15 regions with the highest number of cases. Based on the data of the Territorial Compulsory Health Insurance Fund for the Samara Region on the number of insured residents of the region, taking into account five-year age and sex groups and the register of payment for a completed case of treatment of the disease in medical organizations, a demographic and medical and economic analysis of the incidence of COVID-19 in the population of the region was carried out. Based on the results of the first wave of the pandemic, an epidemiological picture was compiled in order to understand the extent of the priority spread of the infection in various age and sex groups, areas of residence (urban/rural) and the cost of treating patients. The maximum number of cases is observed in the age groups from 30 to 74 years, regardless of territorial affiliation. The proportion of cases among the urban population of the Samara region amounted to 83.6% of the total number of cases, the rural population — 16.4%. The proportion of women who fell ill in the Samara region during the first wave of COVID-19 is 1.5 times higher than the proportion of sick men, in older age groups this difference increases by 2—3 times. The highest incidence of COVID-19 is observed in the age group of 55—59 years old both in the region and in the city, in rural areas — at the age of 50—54 years. The highest incidence rate among women in the region was noted in the age group of 50—54 years, among men — in 55—59 year olds. The share of costs for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 in the Samara region of the total cost of compulsory health insurance is on average 5% in the region. During the first wave of the pandemic under compulsory health insurance, the average cost of treating one patient for COVID-19 was 6—8 times higher than the average cost of treating one patient for all other diseases. The results of the study can be used to form evidence-based practical recommendations for planning resources and improving the organization of treatment, prevention and anti-epidemic measures in urban and rural living conditions.

COVID-19, morbidity, Samara region, gender and age characteristics, medical and economic analysis.