Adults Hospitalized with COVID-19 -United States, March-June and October-December 2020: Implications for the Potential Effects of COVID-19
Author Department
Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine; Medicine
Document Type
Article, Peer-reviewed
Publication Date
5-2021
Abstract
Background: Because of the increased risk for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) initially prioritized COVID-19 vaccination for persons in long-term care facilities (LTCF), persons aged ≥65 years, and persons aged 16-64 years with high-risk medical conditions when there is limited vaccine supply. We compared characteristics and severe outcomes of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in the United States between early and later in the pandemic categorized by groups at higher risk of severe COVID-19.
Methods: Observational study of sampled patients aged ≥18 years who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and admitted to one of 14 academic hospitals in the United States during March-June and October-December 2020. Demographic and clinical information were gathered from electronic health record data.
Results: Among 647 patients, 91% met ≥1 of the following risk factors for severe COVID-19 [91% March-June (n=434); 90% October-December (n=213)]; 19% were LTCF residents, 45% were aged ≥65-years, and 84% had ≥1 high-risk condition. The proportion of patients who resided in a LTCF declined significantly (25% vs. 6%) from early to later pandemic periods. Compared with patients at lower risk for severe COVID-19, in-hospital mortality was higher among patients at high risk for severe COVID-19 (20% vs. 7%); these differences were consistently observed between March-June and October-December.
Conclusions: Most adults hospitalized with COVID-19 were those recommended to be prioritized for vaccination based on risk for developing severe COVID-19. These findings highlight the urgency to vaccinate patients at high risk for severe COVID-19 and monitor vaccination impact on hospitalizations and outcomes.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; United States; hospitalization; vaccination.
Recommended Citation
Sami S, Tenforde MW, Talbot HK, Lindsell CJ, Steingrub JS, Shapiro NI, Ginde AA, Douin DJ, Prekker ME, Erickson HL, Brown SM, Peltan ID, Gong MN, Khan A, Exline MC, Files DC, Gibbs KW, Rice TW, Casey JD, Grijalva CG, Stubblefield WB, Womack KN, Hager DN, Qadir N, Chang SY, Henning DJ, Wilson JG, Self WH, Patel MM; IVY Network Investigators. Adults Hospitalized with COVID-19 -United States, March-June and October-December 2020: Implications for the Potential Effects of COVID-19 Tier-1 Vaccination on Future Hospitalizations and Outcomes. Clin Infect Dis. 2021 May 12:ciab319. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciab319. Epub ahead of print.
PMID
33977301