Mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients was associated with the COVID-19 admission rate during the first year of the pandemic in Sweden.
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Strålin K, Wahlström E, Walther S, Bennet-Bark AM, Heurgren M, Lindén T, Holm J, Hanberger H
Infect Dis (Lond) 54 (2) 145-151 [2022-02-00; online 2021-10-06]
Studies from the first pandemic wave found associations between COVID-19 hospital load and mortality. Here, we aimed to study if mortality of hospitalized COVID-19 patients was associated with the COVID-19 admission rate during a full year of the pandemic in Sweden. Observational review of all patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 in Sweden between March 2020 and February 2021 (n = 42,017). Primary outcome was 60-day all-cause mortality related to number of COVID-19 hospital admissions per month/100,000 inhabitants. Poisson regression was used to estimate the relative risk for death by month of admission, adjusting for pre-existing factors. The overall mortality was 17.4%. Excluding March 2020, mortality was clearly correlated to the number of COVID-19 admissions per month (coefficient of correlation ρ=.96; p<.0001). After adjustment for pre-existing factors, the correlation remained significant (ρ=.75, p=.02). Patients admitted in December (high admission rate and high mortality) had more comorbidities and longer hospital stays, and patients treated in intensive care units (ICU) had longer pre-ICU hospital stays and worse respiratory status on ICU admission than those admitted in July to September (low admission rate and low mortality). Mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients was clearly associated with the COVID-19 admission rate. Admission of healthier patients between pandemic waves and delayed ICU care during wave peaks could contribute to this pattern. The study supports measures to flatten-the-curve to reduce the number of COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital.
PubMed 34612774
DOI 10.1080/23744235.2021.1983643
Crossref 10.1080/23744235.2021.1983643