"Disparities in excess deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic among migrant workers in Kuwait," 14 Sep 2021

The actual human cost of the pandemic cannot be viewed through the COVID-19 mortality rates alone, especially when the pandemic is widening the existing health disparities among different subpopulations... In Kuwait, migrant workers were already disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and its unintended consequences...

we expected the total mortality in Kuwait to be 6629 (95% CI: 6472 to 6789) deaths. However, the observed total mortality in 2020 was 9975 deaths; about 3346 (3186 to 3503) more deaths above the expected historical trend. Deaths among migrant workers would have been approximately 71.9% (67.8 to 76.0) lower in the absence of the pandemic. On the other hand, deaths among Kuwaitis would have been 32.4% (29.3 to 35.6) lower if the country had not been hit by the pandemic...

The burden of mortality brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic is substantially higher than what the official tally might suggest. Systematically disadvantaged migrant workers shouldered a larger burden of deaths in the pandemic year. Public health interventions must consider structural and societal determinants that give rise to the health disparities seen among migrant workers.