Chronic comorbidities and clinical outcomes in patients with and without COVID-19: a large population-based study using national administrative healthcare open data of Mexico

Consequence of COVID-19 on allergic asthma outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Asthma is a common chronic lung disease, and COVID-19 pandemic as a respiratory viral disease led to lung infection and resulted in millions of deaths. So, the impact of COVID-19 on asthma outcomes and the risk of being infected or hospitalized should be clarified. Systematic review and meta-analysis on the outcomes and risk of asthma for people with COVID-19 was done by searching electronic databases between 1 December 2019 and 31 July 2023. A total of 48 studies from 27 countries spread across all continents were included in the review. The prevalence of asthma among COVID-19 patients was 7.9%, and the analysis demonstrated a 16.5% reduction in the risk ratio for acquiring COVID-19 among subjects with asthma compared to those without asthma. There was no statistically significant difference in hospitalization risk, ICU admission risk, and death risk for COVID-19 patients with no asthma compared to those with asthma. The risk of death from COVID-19 was similar between nonasthmatics and asthmatics. The findings indicated that subjects with asthma may be at a lower risk of having infection with COVID-19 compared to those without asthma, but they have a similar risk of hospitalization and mortality.

Factors Associated with Length of Hospitalization in Patients with Diabetes and Mild COVID-19: Experiences from a Tertiary University Center in Serbia

Background and Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increased number of hospitalized COVID-19-positive patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The objective of this research study was to explore factors associated with the length of hospitalization of patients with T2DM and the mild form of COVID-19. Material and Methods: This retrospective cohort study involved all patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and those who were treated in the dedicated COVID-19 department of the University Clinical Center (UCC) in Nis between 10 September 2021 and 31 December 2021. Upon admission, patients underwent blood tests for biochemical analysis, including blood count, kidney and liver function parameters (C-reactive protein (CRP), creatinine kinase, and D-dimer), and glycemia and HbA1c assessments. Additionally, all patients underwent lung radiography. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were employed to assess the impact of specific factors on the length of hospitalization among patients with T2DM. Results: Out of a total of 549 treated COVID-19-positive patients, 124 (21.0%) had T2DM, while 470 (79.0%) did not have diabetes. Among patients with T2DM, men were significantly younger than women (60.6 ± 16.8 vs. 64.2 ± 15.3, p < 0.01). The average hospitalization length of patients with diabetes was 20.2 ± 9.6 (5 to 54 days), and it was significantly longer than for patients without diabetes, at 15.0 ± 3.4, which ranged from 3 days to 39 (t-test ≈ 5.86, p < 0.05). According to the results of the univariate regression analysis, each year of age is associated with an increase in the length of hospital stay of 0.06 days (95% CI: 0.024 to 0.128, p = 0.004). Patients who received oxygen therapy were treated for 2.8 days longer than those who did not receive oxygen treatment (95% CI: 0.687 to 4988, p = 0.010), and each one-unit increase in CRP level was associated with a 0.02-day reduction in the length of hospitalization (95% CI: 0.004 to 0.029, p = 0.008). Based on the results of the multivariate regression analysis, each year of age is associated with an increase in the length of hospitalization by 0.07 days (95% CI: 0.022 to 0.110, p = 0.003). Patients who received oxygen therapy were treated for 3.2 days longer than those who did not receive oxygen therapy (95% CI: 0.653 to 5726, p = 0.014), and each unit increase in CRP level was associated with a 0.02-day reduction in the length of hospitalization (95% CI: 0.005 to 0.028, p = 0.004). Conclusions: Based on the presented results, COVID-19-positive patients with diabetes had, on average, longer hospitalizations than COVID-19 patients without diabetes. The hospital treatment of patients with T2DM and a milder form of COVID-19 was associated with older age, the use of oxygen therapy, and elevated CRP values. Patients who received oxygen therapy were treated approximately 3 days longer than those who did not receive this therapy.

Reopening the Bavarian State Opera Safely: Hygiene Strategies and Incidence of COVID-19 in Artistic Staff During Theater Season 2020/2021

Due to the drastically rising coronavirus disease (COVID-19) incidence since March 2020, social life was shut down across the globe, and most opera houses were closed. As a result, there are limited data on SARS-CoV-2 infections among artists. The Bavarian State Opera has been reopened in September 2020. This study aimed to identify the incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among employees in the Bavarian State Opera. In addition, the various hygiene strategies for the work groups within the institution are described. During the study period from September 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021, 10,061 nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained from 1,460 artistic staff members in a rolling system. During the entire study period, 61 individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. None of the patients had a severe disease course. Compared to the seven-day-incidence per 100,000 German inhabitants, the estimated corresponding incidence among employees was lower at 37 weeks and higher or equal at 9 weeks. Among the infected individuals, 58.3% were symptomatic, 23.3% were presymptomatic, and 18.3% were asymptomatic. Forty-five percent of employees reported that they had been infected in their private environment, 41.7% suspected that their colleagues were the main contact, and 13.3% were unsure about the origin of their infection. Twenty-four diseased employees were ballet dancers, eight from the orchestra, seven from the administration, seven from the choir singers, six from the costume department, 10 from technical support, and one guest solo singer. In the 2020/2021 theater season, increased SARS-CoV-2 infections and large disease outbreaks were avoided at the Bavarian State Opera. Hygiene strategies, that existed since the beginning, was specifically designed for various work areas in the opera. Regular, mandatory PCR testing and follow-up of positive cases with the issuance of quarantine were performed. Using this disease management approach, artistic work at and reopening of the Bavarian State Opera was feasible with a well-controlled risk.

Epidemiology of prehospital emergency calls according to patient transport decision in a middle eastern emergency care environment: Retrospective cohort-based

Background and Aim

Though emergency medical services (EMS) respond to all types of emergency calls, they do not always result in the patient being transported to the hospital. This study aimed to explore the determinants influencing emergency call-response-based conveyance decisions in a Middle Eastern ambulance service.

Methods

This retrospective quantitative analysis of 93,712 emergency calls to the Hamad Medical Corporation Ambulance Service (HMCAS) between January 1 and May 31, 2023, obtained from the HMCAS electronic system, was analyzed to determine pertinent variables. Sociodemographic, emergency dispatch-related, clinical, and miscellaneous predictors were analyzed. Descriptive, bivariate, ridge logistic regression, and combination analyses were evaluated.

Results

23.95% (N = 21,194) and 76.05% (N = 67,285) resulted in patient nontransport and transportation, respectively. Sociodemographic analysis revealed that males predominantly activated EMS resources, and 60% of males (n = 12,687) were not transported, whilst 65% of females (n = 44,053) were transported. South Asians represented a significant proportion of the transported patients (36%, n = 24,007). "Home" emerged as the primary emergency location (56%, n = 37,725). Bivariate analysis revealed significant associations across several variables, though multicollinearity was identified as a challenge. Ridge regression analysis underscored the role of certain predictors, such as missing provisional diagnoses, in transportation decisions. The upset plot shows that hypertension and diabetes mellitus were the most common combinations in both groups.

Conclusions

This study highlights the nuanced complexities governing conveyance decisions. By unveiling patterns such as male predominance, which reflects Qatar's expatriate population, and specific temporal EMS activity peaks, this study accentuates the importance of holistic patient assessment that transcends medical histories.

Changes in the characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients from the early pandemic to the delta variant epidemic: a nationwide population-based study

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has dramatically changed because of virus mutations, vaccine dissemination, treatment development and policies, among other factors. These factors have a dynamic and complex effect on the characteristics and outcomes of patients. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand those changes and update the evidence. We used a large-scale real-world data set of 937,758 patients with COVID-19 from a nationwide claims database that included outpatients and inpatients in Japan to investigate the changes in their characteristics, outcomes and risk factors for severity/mortality from the early pandemic to the delta variant-predominant waves. The severity of COVID-19 was defined according to the modified World Health Organization clinical-progression ordinal scale. With changing waves, mean patient age decreased, and proportion of patients with comorbidities decreased. The incidences of "severe COVID-19 or death (i.e. ≥severe COVID-19)" and "death" markedly declined (5.0% and 2.9%, wild-type-predominant; 4.6% and 2.2%, alpha variant-predominant and 1.4% and 0.4%, delta variant-predominant waves, respectively). Across the wave shift, risk factors for ≥ severe COVID-19 and death, including older age, male, malignancy, congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, were largely consistent. The significance of some factors, such as liver disease, varied as per the wave. This study, one of the largest population-based studies on COVID-19, showed that patient characteristics and outcomes changed during the waves. Risk factors for severity/mortality were similar across all waves, but some factors were inconsistent. These data suggest that the clinical status of COVID-19 will change further with the coming epidemic wave.

Asthma and COPD as co-morbidities in patients hospitalised with Covid-19 disease: a global systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Factors predisposing to increased mortality with COVID-19 infection have been identified as male sex, hypertension, obesity, and increasing age. Early studies looking at airway diseases gave some contradictory results. The purpose of our study was to determine global variation in studies in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the prevalence of COPD and asthma; and to determine whether the presence of asthma or COPD affected mortality in the same hospital population.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the published literature of COPD and asthma as co-morbidities in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 was performed, looking firstly at the prevalence of these diseases in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, and secondly at the relative risk of death from any cause for patients with asthma or COPD.

RESULTS

Prevalence of both airway diseases varied markedly by region, making meaningful pooled global estimates of prevalence invalid and not of clinical utility. For individual studies, the interquartile range for asthma prevalence was 4.21 to 12.39%, and for COPD, 3.82 to 11.85%. The relative risk of death with COPD for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 was 1.863 (95% CI 1.640-2.115), while the risk with asthma was 0.918 (95% CI 0.767 to 1.098) with no evidence of increased mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

For asthma and COPD, prevalence in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 varies markedly by region. We found no evidence that asthma predisposed to increased mortality in COVID-19 disease. For COPD, there was clear evidence of an association with increased mortality.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial was registered with PROSPERO: registration number CRD42021289886.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity and their effect on COVID-19 severity and hospitalization among younger than 50 years versus older than 50 years population: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Cohort studies have shown that both overweight and obesity have their impact by increasing hospitalization with COVID-19. We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed, Google Scholar, and MedRxiv databases following the PRISMA guidelines. Statistical analyses were performed using STATA software version 16 MP (Stata Corp, College Station, TX, USA) and Med Calc software version 22.009(Med Calc software Ltd, Ostend, Belgium). The primary outcome was to measure the prevalence of overweight and obesity and their impact on the risk of hospitalization among COVID-19 patients under and above 50 years of age. In total, 184 studies involving 2,365,377 patients were included. The prevalence of overweight was highest among those younger than 50 years of age over those older than 50 years of age, (26.33% vs. 30.46%), but there was no difference in obesity (36.30% vs. 36.02%). Overall, the pooled prevalence of overweight and obesity among hospitalized COVID-19 patients was 31.0% and 36.26%, respectively. Compared with normal weight, the odds of hospitalization with overweight (odds ratio [OR] 2.186, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.19, 3.99], p < 0.01) and obesity (OR 3.069, 95% CI [1.67, 5.61], p < 0.001) in those younger than 50 years and obesity (OR 3.977, 95% CI [2.75, 5.73], p < 0.001) in the older than 50 years age group were significantly high. The increased prevalence of overweight and obesity among the under 50 years age group and obesity among the older than 50 years age group significantly increased the rate of COVID-19 infections, severity and hospitalization.

Direct impact of 2 years of COVID-19 on chronic disease patients: a population-based study in a large hard-hit Italian region

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to provide a region-wide comprehensive account of the direct effects of COVID-19 on chronic disease patients, in terms of disease incidence, severity and mortality, over a 2-year pandemic period (2020-2021).

DESIGN

Population-based retrospective study.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

Adult patients, affected by at least 1 of 32 prevalent chronic conditions, residing in the Emilia-Romagna Region in Italy, during the years 2020 (N=1 791 189, 47.7% of the overall adult regional population) and 2021 (N=1 801 071, 47.8%).

RESULTS

COVID-19 incidence among chronic disease patients was 4.1% (74 067 cases) in 2020 and 7.3% (126 556 cases) in 2021, varying across pathologies, with obesity and dementia showing the highest incidence. Hospitalisation rate for pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome among SARS-CoV-2-positive patients was 15.4%. COVID-19-related excess mortality, that is, deaths from COVID-19 as either main or contributing (1.5% of the total) cause of death, was observed during the three pandemic waves, with observed/expected death ratios ranging from +38% (March 2020) to +11% (December 2021). Increased risks of both COVID-19-related hospitalisation and death were associated with male gender, elderly age and many pre-existing pathologies, including cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and respiratory diseases, neurological and psychiatric disorders, and metabolic dysfunctions. The higher the number of concomitant pathologies, the greater the risk of COVID-19-related adverse outcomes: the likelihood of hospitalisation and death more than doubled for people with more than two comorbidities, compared with those with one underlying condition.

CONCLUSIONS

This study presents a thorough and up-to-date quantification of the direct impact of COVID-19 on chronic disease patients. The results obtained are particularly relevant considering that people with pre-existing chronic conditions accounted for almost all cases of COVID-19-related hospitalisation (82.6%) and death (91.5%) in a vast region of Italy, among the hardest hit by the pandemic.

Global prevalence and effect of comorbidities and smoking status on severity and mortality of COVID-19 in association with age and gender: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression

A COVID-19 patient often presents with multiple comorbidities and is associated with adverse outcomes. A comprehensive assessment of the prevalence of comorbidities in patients with COVID-19 is essential. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of comorbidities, severity and mortality with regard to geographic region, age, gender and smoking status in patients with COVID-19. A systematic review and multistage meta-analyses were reported using PRISMA guidelines. PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Google Scholar and EMBASE were searched from January 2020 to October 2022. Cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, case series studies, and case-control studies on comorbidities reporting among the COVID-19 populations that were published in English were included. The pooled prevalence of various medical conditions in COVID-19 patients was calculated based on regional population size weights. Stratified analyses were performed to understand the variations in the medical conditions based on age, gender, and geographic region. A total of 190 studies comprising 105 million COVID-19 patients were included. Statistical analyses were performed using STATA software, version 16 MP (StataCorp, College Station, TX). Meta-analysis of proportion was performed to obtain pooled values of the prevalence of medical comorbidities: hypertension (39%, 95% CI 36-42, n = 170 studies), obesity (27%, 95% CI 25-30%, n = 169 studies), diabetes (27%, 95% CI 25-30%, n = 175), and asthma (8%, 95% CI 7-9%, n = 112). Moreover, the prevalence of hospitalization was 35% (95% CI 29-41%, n = 61), intensive care admissions 17% (95% CI 14-21, n = 106), and mortality 18% (95% CI 16-21%, n = 145). The prevalence of hypertension was highest in Europe at 44% (95% CI 39-47%, n = 68), obesity and diabetes at 30% (95% CI, 26-34, n = 79) and 27% (95%CI, 24-30, n = 80) in North America, and asthma in Europe at 9% (95% CI 8-11, n = 41). Obesity was high among the ≥ 50 years (30%, n = 112) age group, diabetes among Men (26%, n = 124) and observational studies reported higher mortality than case-control studies (19% vs. 14%). Random effects meta-regression found a significant association between age and diabetes (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.001), asthma (p < 0.05), ICU admission (p < 0.05) and mortality (p < 0.001). Overall, a higher global prevalence of hypertension (39%) and a lower prevalence of asthma (8%), and 18% of mortality were found in patients with COVID-19. Hence, geographical regions with respective chronic medical comorbidities should accelerate regular booster dose vaccination, preferably to those patients with chronic comorbidities, to prevent and lower the severity and mortality of COVID-19 disease with novel SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC).

Lethality risk markers by sex and age-group for COVID-19 in Mexico: a cross-sectional study based on machine learning approach

BACKGROUND

Mexico ranks fifth worldwide in the number of deaths due to COVID-19. Identifying risk markers through easily accessible clinical data could help in the initial triage of COVID-19 patients and anticipate a fatal outcome, especially in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged regions. This study aims to identify markers that increase lethality risk in patients diagnosed with COVID-19, based on machine learning (ML) methods. Markers were differentiated by sex and age-group.

METHODS

A total of 11,564 cases of COVID-19 in Mexico were extracted from the Epidemiological Surveillance System for Viral Respiratory Disease. Four ML classification methods were trained to predict lethality, and an interpretability approach was used to identify those markers.

RESULTS

Models based on Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) yielded the best performance in a test set. This model achieved a sensitivity of 0.91, a specificity of 0.69, a positive predictive value of 0.344, and a negative predictive value of 0.965. For female patients, the leading markers are diabetes and arthralgia. For males, the main markers are chronic kidney disease (CKD) and chest pain. Dyspnea, hypertension, and polypnea increased the risk of death in both sexes.

CONCLUSIONS

ML-based models using an interpretability approach successfully identified risk markers for lethality by sex and age. Our results indicate that age is the strongest demographic factor for a fatal outcome, while all other markers were consistent with previous clinical trials conducted in a Mexican population. The markers identified here could be used as an initial triage, especially in geographic areas with limited resources.

The effects of hypertension on the prognosis of coronavirus disease 2019: a systematic review and meta-analysis on the interactions with age and antihypertensive treatment

BACKGROUND

Hypertension and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs)/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) have been reported to be associated with the prognosis of COVID-19, but the findings remain controversial. Here, we conducted a systematic review to summarize the current evidence.

METHODS

We retrieved all the studies by MEDLINE via PubMed, CENTRAL, and Embase using the MeSH terms until 30 April 2021. A fixed or random effect model was applied to calculate pooled adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Interactive analysis was performed to identify the interaction effect of hypertension and age on in-hospital mortality.

RESULTS

In total, 86 articles with 18 775 387 COVID-19 patients from 18 countries were included in this study. The pooled analysis showed that the COVID-19 patients with hypertension had increased risks of in-hospital mortality and other adverse outcomes, compared with those without hypertension, with an AOR (95% CI) of 1.36 (1.28-1.45) and 1.32 (1.24-1.41), respectively. The results were mostly repeated in countries with more than three independent studies. Furthermore, the effect of hypertension on in-hospital mortality is more evident in younger and older COVID-19 patients than in 60-69-year-old patients. ACEI/ARBs did not significantly affect the mortality and adverse outcomes of COVID-19 patients, compared with those receiving other antihypertensive treatments.

CONCLUSION

Hypertension is significantly associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality and adverse outcomes in COVID-19. The effect of hypertension on in-hospital mortality among consecutive age groups followed a U-shaped curve. ACEI/ARB treatments do not increase in-hospital mortality and other poor outcomes of COVID-19 patients with hypertension.

An update on the interaction between COVID-19, vaccines, and diabetic kidney disease

Up to now, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still affecting worldwide due to its highly infectious nature anrapid spread. Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is an independent risk factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes, and they have a certain correlation in some aspects. Particularly, the activated renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system, chronic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and hypercoagulation state play an important role in the underlying mechanism linking COVID-19 to DKD. The dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor is considered a potential therapy for COVID-19 and has similarly shown organ protection in DKD. In addition, neuropilin-1 as an alternative pathway for angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 also contributes to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 entering the host cells, and its decreased expression can affect podocyte migration and adhesion. Here, we review the pathogenesis and current evidence of the interaction of DKD and COVID-19, as well as focus on elevated blood glucose following vaccination and its possible mechanism. Grasping the pathophysiology of DKD patients with COVID-19 is of great clinical significance for the formulation of therapeutic strategies.

Hepatobiliary manifestations of COVID-19 and their impact on severity and outcomes in a single center in Saudi Arabia

Recognizing hepatic manifestations of COVID-19 and their impact on the severity and outcome is crucial in managing this emerging pandemic. However, we lack such reported data in Saudi Arabia regarding this clinical entity. This is a retrospective observational study conducted on 387 patients with COVID-19 disease who were hospitalized at King Fahad Hospital of the University from March-September 2020. The total cohort was divided into two groups: liver and non-liver involvement. Then, the frequency of hepatic manifestations was determined, followed by comparing severity and outcome among the two study groups. A total of 387 patients were included, of which 72.87% had hepatic manifestations. The most prevalent abnormalities were high LDH in 308 (79.58%) followed by AST 205 (52.97%), GGTP 124 (31.26%), ALT 74 (19.12%), PT/INR 66 (17.05%), direct bilirubin 51 (12.40%), total bilirubin 46 (11.88%), and low albumin 48 (12.4%). Univariate analyses showed that liver involvement was significantly associated with severe (31.91%) and critical (34.75%) presentation (P<0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the presence of liver involvement was an independent risk factor for severe or critical COVID-19 disease (OR 2.44; P<0.001), longer hospitalization (OR 2.27; P=0.001), and ICU admission (OR 2.27; P=0.006). The current study showed that liver involvement is common in the setting of COVID-19 disease. Such patients had a higher disease severity and a worse clinical outcome.

Clinical and Virological Features of Patients Hospitalized with Different Types of COVID-19 Vaccination in Mexico City

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines effectively protect against severe disease and death. However, the impact of the vaccine used, viral variants, and host factors on disease severity remain poorly understood. This work aimed to compare COVID-19 clinical presentations and outcomes in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients in Mexico City. From March to September 2021, clinical, demographic characteristics, and viral variants were obtained from 1014 individuals with a documented SARS-CoV-2 infection. We compared unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, and fully vaccinated patients, stratifying by age groups. We also fitted multivariate statistical models to evaluate the impact of vaccination status, SARS-CoV-2 lineages, vaccine types, and clinical parameters. Most hospitalized patients were unvaccinated. In patients over 61 years old, mortality was significantly higher in unvaccinated compared to fully vaccinated individuals. In patients aged 31 to 60 years, vaccinated patients were more likely to be outpatients (46%) than unvaccinated individuals (6.1%). We found immune disease and age above 61 years old to be risk factors, while full vaccination was found to be the most protective factor against in-hospital death. This study suggests that vaccination is essential to reduce mortality in a comorbid population such as that of Mexico.

Association between chronic kidney disease and mortality in patients with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis

Objective

To determine the association between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and mortality in persons with a confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnosis.

Methods

Cross-sectional secondary baseline study. The study population consisted of 243,065 patients confirmed to have COVID-19 during May-December 2020. Stata 16.0 was used for statistical analysis, Chi-square test was used for bivariate analysis, and Poisson regression with robust variances was used for multiple analysis.

Results

The prevalence of patients with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis who had CKD and died was 1.42 times the prevalence of mortality in those without CKD. The comorbidities combined with CKD that presented the highest probability of mortality were diabetes mellitus and hypertension.

Conclusions

CKD is associated with a high mortality rate in patients with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. Patients with CKD, diabetes mellitus, and arterial hypertension have a higher prevalence of mortality than those without comorbidities.

The Role of Diabetes and Hyperglycemia on COVID-19 Infection Course-A Narrative Review

It was previously reported that subjects with diabetes mellitus (DM) are more vulnerable to several bacterial or viral infections. In the era of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it is reasonable to wonder whether DM is a risk factor for COVID-19 infection, too. It is not yet clear whether DM increases the risk for contracting COVID-19 infection or not. However, patients with DM when infected are more likely to develop severe or even fatal COVID-19 disease course than patients without DM. Certain characteristics of DM patients may also deteriorate prognosis. On the other hand, hyperglycemia per se is related to unfavorable outcomes, and the risk may be higher for COVID-19 subjects without pre-existing DM. In addition, individuals with DM may experience prolonged symptoms, need readmission, or develop complications such as mucormycosis long after recovery from COVID-19; close follow-up is hence necessary in some selected cases. We here present a narrative review of the literature in order to set light into the relationship between COVID-19 infection and DM/hyperglycemia.

COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean Region: Symptoms and Morbidities in the Epidemiology of Infection

The COVID-19 pandemic has widespread economic and social effects on Latin America (LA) and the Caribbean (CA). This region, which has a high prevalence of chronic diseases, has been one of the most affected during the pandemic. Multiple symptoms and comorbidities are related to distinct COVID-19 outcomes. However, there has been no explanation as to why different patients present with different arrays of clinical presentations. Studies report that similar to comorbidities, each country in LA and the CA has its own particular health issues. Moreover, economic and social features have yet to be studied in detail to obtain a complete perspective of the disease in the region. Herein, the impact of demographic and economic characteristics in LA and the CA on COVID-19 are presented in combination with symptoms and comorbidities related to the disease as important aspects that can influence management and treatment.

Gastrointestinal manifestations of COVID-19 in a single center in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Several gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms have been associated with novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Their prevalence and relation to the severity and hospital outcome of COVID-19 have not been well reported in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia. We aimed to examine the GI manifestations of COVID-19 and their association with the severity and hospital outcome of COVID-19 infection.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective observational study of hospitalized COVID-19 patients who had a positive SARS-COV2 PCR test and were admitted at a university hospital in Saudi Arabia, from March to September 2020. The primary objective of the study was to describe the GI manifestations of COVID-19. The secondary objective was to investigate the association of GI manifestations with severity and outcome of COVID-19 infection.

RESULTS

We included 390 patients, of which 111 (28.5%) presented with GI manifestations. The most common presentation was diarrhea followed by nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Patients without GI manifestations had a higher risk of severe-critical COVID-19 infection evident by the development of lung infiltration in more than 50% of lung fields within 24-48 h, acute respiratory distress syndrome, altered mental status, multiorgan failure, and cytokine storm syndrome (P < 0.05). These patients had a higher mortality rate compared to patients with GI manifestations (P = 0.01). A lower odds of death was seen among patients with GI symptoms (AOR 0.36; 95% CI, 0.158-0.82; P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

COVID-19 infection presents commonly with GI manifestations. Patients with GI manifestations have less severe COVID-19 disease and lower mortality rates.

COVID-19 and chronic kidney disease: an updated overview of reviews

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has resulted in the death of more than 3.5 million people worldwide. While COVID-19 mostly affects the lungs, different comorbidities can have an impact on its outcomes. We performed an overview of reviews to assess the effect of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) on contracting COVID-19, hospitalization, mortality, and disease severity.

METHODS

We searched published and preprint databases. We updated the reviews by searching for primary studies published after August 2020, and prioritized reviews that are most updated and of higher quality using the AMSTAR tool.

RESULTS

We included 69 systematic reviews and 66 primary studies. Twenty-eight reviews reported on the prevalence of CKD among patients with COVID-19, which ranged from 0.4 to 49.0%. One systematic review showed an increased risk of hospitalization in patients with CKD and COVID-19 (RR = 1.63, 95% CI 1.03-2.58) (Moderate certainty). Primary studies also showed a statistically significant increase of hospitalization in such patients. Thirty-seven systematic reviews assessed mortality risk in patients with CKD and COVID-19. The pooled estimates from primary studies for mortality in patients with CKD and COVID-19 showed a HR of 1.48 (95% CI 1.33-1.65) (Moderate certainty), an OR of 1.77 (95% CI 1.54-2.02) (Moderate certainty) and a RR of 1.6 (95% CI 0.88-2.92) (Low certainty).

CONCLUSIONS

Our review highlights the impact of CKD on the poor outcomes of COVID-19, underscoring the importance of identifying strategies to prevent COVID-19 infection among patients with CKD.

Disability-Adjusted Life Years for the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Mexican Population

Mexico is one of the countries most affected by the COVID-19 disease. Although there is vast information on the disease, there still are unknown data on the societal and economic cost of the pandemic. To estimate this impact, the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) can be a useful tool. Objective: To assess the DALYs due to COVID-19 in Mexico. Methods: We used the data released by the Mexican Ministry of Health to estimate the DALYs by the sum of the years of life lived with disability (YLDs) and the years of life lost (YLLs). Results: A total of 1,152,885 confirmed cases and 324,570 suspected cases of COVID-19 have been registered. Half of the cases were men, with a median age of 43.4 ± 16.9 years. About 8.3% died. A total of 39,202 YLDs were attributable to COVID-19. The total YLLs caused by COVID-19 were 2,126,222. A total of 2,165,424.5 DALYs for COVID-19 were estimated. The total DALYs were the highest in people between 50 and 59 years. The DALYs for each COVID-19 case were the highest in individuals between 60 and 79 years. Conclusion: The DALYs generated by the COVID-19 represent a more significant disease burden than that reported for other causes, such as the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. Although it impacts all age groups in terms of disability, the most affected group are people over 50 years of age, whose risk of death is higher.

The Association of Asthma With COVID-19 Mortality: An Updated Meta-Analysis Based on Adjusted Effect Estimates

Background

The association of asthma with the risk for mortality among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients is not clear.

Objective

To investigate the association between asthma and the risk for mortality among COVID-19 patients.

Methods

We performed systematic searches through electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science to identify potential articles reporting adjusted effect estimates on the association of asthma with fatal COVID-19. A random-effects model was conducted to estimate pooled effects. Sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis, meta-regression, Begg's test and Egger's test were also performed.

Results

Based on 62 studies with 2,457,205 cases reporting adjusted effect estimates, COVID-19 patients with asthma had a significantly reduced risk for mortality compared with those without it (15 cohort studies: 829,670 patients, pooled hazard ratio [HR] = 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82-0.95, I² = 65.9%, P < .001; 34 cohort studies: 1,008,015 patients, pooled odds ratio [OR] = 0.88, 95% CI, 0.82-0.94, I² = 39.4%, P = .011; and 11 cross-sectional studies: 1,134,738 patients, pooled OR = 0.87, 95% CI, 0.78-0.97, I² = 41.1%, P = .075). Subgroup analysis based on types of adjusted factors indicated that COVID-19 patients with asthma had a significantly reduced risk for mortality among studies adjusting for demographic, clinical, and epidemiologic variables (pooled OR = 0.87, 95% CI, 0.83-0.92, I² = 36.3%, P = .013; pooled HR = 0.90, 95% CI, 0.83-0.97, I² = 69.2%, P < .001), but not among studies adjusting only for demographic variables (pooled OR = 0.88, 95% CI, 0.70-1.12, I² = 40.5%, P = .097; pooled HR = 0.82, 95% CI, 0.64-1.06, I² = 0%, P = .495). Sensitivity analysis proved that our results were stable and robust. Both Begg's test and Egger's test indicated that potential publication bias did not exist.

Conclusions

Our data based on adjusted effect estimates indicated that asthma was significantly related to a reduced risk for COVID-19 mortality.

Asthma and Coronavirus Disease 2019 Risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Individual case series and cohort studies have reported conflicting results in people with asthma on the vulnerability to and risk of mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Research question

Are people with asthma at a higher risk of being infected or hospitalised or poorer clinical outcomes from COVID-19?

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis based on five main databases including the World Health Organization COVID-19 database between 1 December 2019 and 11 July 2021 on studies with a control (non-asthma) group was conducted. Prevalence and risk ratios were pooled using Sidik–Jonkman random-effects meta-analyses.

Findings

51 studies with an 8.08% (95% CI 6.87–9.30%) pooled prevalence of people with asthma among COVID-19 positive cases. The risk ratios were 0.83 (95% CI 0.73–0.95, p=0.01) for acquiring COVID-19; 1.18 (95% CI 0.98–1.42, p=0.08) for hospitalisation; 1.21 (95% CI 0.97–1.51, p=0.09) for intensive care unit (ICU) admission; 1.06 (95% CI 0.82–1.36, p=0.65) for ventilator use; and 0.94 (95% CI 0.76–1.17, p=0.58) for mortality for people with asthma. Subgroup analyses by continent revealed a significant difference in risk of acquiring COVID-19, ICU admission, ventilator use and death between the continents.

Interpretation

The risk of being infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was reduced compared to the non-asthma group. No statistically significant differences in hospitalisation, ICU admission and ventilator use were found between groups. Subgroup analyses showed significant differences in outcomes from COVID-19 between America, Europe and Asia. Additional studies are required to confirm this risk profile, particularly in Africa and South America, where few studies originate.

The risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 was reduced in patients with asthma compared to the non-asthma group. No significant differences in hospitalisation, ICU admission, ventilator use and mortality were found between groups.https://bit.ly/3izKB9h

Complex analysis of the personalized pharmacotherapy in the management of COVID-19 patients and suggestions for applications of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine attitude

Aims

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is rapidly spreading worldwide. Drug therapy is one of the major treatments, but contradictory results of clinical trials have been reported among different individuals. Furthermore, comprehensive analysis of personalized pharmacotherapy is still lacking. In this study, analyses were performed on 47 well-characterized COVID-19 drugs used in the personalized treatment of COVID-19.

Methods

Clinical trials with published results of drugs use for COVID-19 treatment were collected to evaluate drug efficacy. Drug-to-Drug Interactions (DDIs) were summarized and classified. Functional variations in actionable pharmacogenes were collected and systematically analysed. “Gene Score” and “Drug Score” were defined and calculated to systematically analyse ethnicity-based genetic differences, which are important for the safer use of COVID-19 drugs.

Results

Our results indicated that four antiviral agents (ritonavir, darunavir, daclatasvir and sofosbuvir) and three immune regulators (budesonide, colchicine and prednisone) as well as heparin and enalapril could generate the highest number of DDIs with common concomitantly utilized drugs. Eight drugs (ritonavir, daclatasvir, sofosbuvir, ribavirin, interferon alpha-2b, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and ceftriaxone had actionable pharmacogenomics (PGx) biomarkers among all ethnic groups. Fourteen drugs (ritonavir, daclatasvir, prednisone, dexamethasone, ribavirin, HCQ, ceftriaxone, zinc, interferon beta-1a, remdesivir, levofloxacin, lopinavir, human immunoglobulin G and losartan) showed significantly different pharmacogenomic characteristics in relation to the ethnic origin of the patient.

Conclusion

We recommend that particularly for patients with comorbidities to avoid serious DDIs, the predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM, 3 PM) strategies have to be applied for COVID-19 treatment, and genetic tests should be performed for drugs with actionable pharmacogenes, especially in some ethnic groups with a higher frequency of functional variations, as our analysis showed. We also suggest that drugs associated with higher ethnic genetic differences should be given priority in future pharmacogenetic studies for COVID-19 management. To facilitate translation of our results into clinical practice, an approach conform with PPPM/3 PM principles was suggested. In summary, the proposed PPPM/3 PM attitude should be obligatory considered for the overall COVID-19 management.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13167-021-00247-0.

The Risk of COVID-19 Related Hospitalsation, Intensive Care Unit Admission and Mortality in People With Underlying Asthma or COPD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Several underlying diseases have been associated with unfavorable COVID-19 related outcomes including asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), however few studies have reported risks that are adjusted for confounding variables. This study aimed to examine the adjusted risk of COVID-19 related hospitalsation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and mortality in patients with vs. without asthma or COPD. Methods: A systematic review of major databases was undertaken for studies published between 1/12/2019 and 19/4/2021. Studies reporting the adjusted (for one or more confounder) risks of either hospitalsation, ICU admission, or mortality in asthmatics or COPD patients (control group = no asthma or no COPD) were identified. Risk of bias was determined via the QUIPS tool. A random effect meta-analysis was undertaken. Findings: 37 studies were eligible for analysis, with a total of 1,678,992 participants. The pooled ORs of COVID-19 hospitalsation in subjects with asthma and COPD was 0.91 (95% CI 0.76-1.09) and 1.37 (95% CI 1.29-1.46), respectively. For ICU admission, OR in subjects with asthma and COPD was 0.89 (95% CI 0.74-1.07) and 1.22 (95% CI 1.04-1.42), respectively. For mortality, ORs were 0.88 (95% CI 0.77-1.01) and 1.25 (95% CI 1.08-1.34) for asthma and COPD, respectively. Further, the pooled risk of mortality as measured via Cox regression was 0.93 (95% CI 0.87-1.00) for asthma and 1.30 (95% CI 1.17-1.44) for COPD. All of these findings were of a moderate level of certainty. Interpretation: COPD was significantly associated with COVID-19 related hospital admission, ICU admission, and mortality. Asthma was not associated with negative COVID-19 related health outcomes. Individuals with COPD should take precautions to limit the risk of COVID-19 exposure to negate these potential outcomes. Limitations include differing population types and adjustment for differing cofounding variables. Practitioners should note these findings when dealing with patients with these comorbidities. Review Protocol Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/.

Diseased lungs may hinder COVID-19 development: A possible reason for the low prevalence of COPD in COVID-19 patients

Presently, it remains unclear why the prevalence of lung diseases, namely chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is much lower than other medical comorbidities and the general population among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). If COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, why is COPD not the leading risk factor for contracting COVID-19? The same odd phenomenon was also observed with other pathogenic human coronaviruses causing severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), but not other respiratory viral infections such as influenza and respiratory syncytial viruses. One commonly proposed reason for the low COPD rates among COVID-19 patients is the usage of inhaled corticosteroids or bronchodilators that may protect against COVID-19. However, another possible reason not discussed elsewhere is that lungs in a diseased state may not be conducive for the severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to establish COVID-19. For one, COPD causes mucous plugging in large and small airways, which may hinder SARS-CoV-2 from reaching deeper parts of the lungs (i.e., alveoli). Thus, SARS-CoV-2 may only localize to the upper respiratory tract of persons with COPD, causing mild or asymptomatic infections requiring no hospital attention. Even if SARS-CoV-2 reaches the alveoli, cells therein are probably under a heavy burden of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and extensively damaged where it may not support efficient viral replication. As a result, limited SARS-CoV-2 virions would be produced in diseased lungs, preventing the development of COVID-19.

Mortality Rate of Patients With COVID-19 Based on Underlying Health Conditions

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the mortality rates of 566,602 patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) based on sex, age, and the presence or absence of underlying diseases and determine whether the underlying disease provides prognostic information specifically related to death.

METHODS

The mortality rate was evaluated using conditional probability to identify the significant factors, and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) using a multivariable logistic regression analysis were estimated.

RESULTS

The mortality rate of patients with underlying health conditions was 12%, which was 4 times higher than that of patients without underlying health conditions. Furthermore, the mortality rates of women and men with underlying health conditions were 5.5 and 3.4 times higher than the mortality rates of patients without underlying health conditions, respectively. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis including sex, age, and underlying health conditions, male sex (OR: 1.83), age ≥ 41 y (ORs > 2.70), and underlying health conditions (OR: 2.20) were confirmed as risk factors for death.

CONCLUSIONS

More attention should be paid to older patients with underlying diseases and male patients with underlying diseases as the probability of death in this population was significantly higher.

Poor Metabolic Health Increases COVID-19-Related Mortality in the UK Biobank Sample

Previous studies link obesity and components of metabolic health, such as hypertension or inflammation, to increased hospitalizations and mortality of patients with COVID-19. Here, in two overlapping samples of over 1,000 individuals from the UK Biobank we investigate whether metabolic health as measured by waist circumference, dyslipidemia, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and systemic inflammation is related to increased COVID-19 infection and mortality rate. Using logistic regression and controlling for confounding variables such as socioeconomic status, age, sex or ethnicity, we find that individuals with worse metabolic health (measured on average eleven years prior to 2020) have an increased risk for COVID-19-related death (adjusted odds ratio: 1.75). We also find that specific factors contributing to increased mortality are increased serum glucose levels, systolic blood pressure and waist circumference.