Impact of Ethnicity and Underlying Comorbidity on COVID-19 Inhospital Mortality: An Observational Study in Abu Dhabi, UAE

The Impact of Long-Term Conditions and Comorbidity Patterns on COVID-19 Infection and Hospitalisation: A Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION

Older adults are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infections; however, little is known about which comorbidity patterns are related to a higher risk of COVID-19 infection. This study investigated the role of long-term conditions or comorbidity patterns on COVID-19 infection and related hospitalisations.

METHODS

This study included 4,428 individuals from Waves 8 (2016-2017) and 9 (2018-2019) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) who also participated in the ELSA COVID-19 Substudy in 2020. Comorbidity patterns were identified using an agglomerative hierarchical clustering method. The relationships between comorbidity patterns or long-term conditions and COVID-19-related outcomes were examined using multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among a representative sample of community-dwelling older adults in England, those with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and complex comorbidities had an almost double risk of COVID-19 infection (OR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.42-2.46) but not of COVID-19-related hospitalisation. A similar pattern was observed for the heterogeneous comorbidities cluster (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.24-1.96). The individual investigations of long-term conditions with COVID-19 infection highlighted primary associations with CVD (OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.23-1.74), lung diseases (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.17-1.69), psychiatric conditions (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.16-1.68), retinopathy/eye diseases (OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.18-1.64), and arthritis (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.09-1.48). In contrast, metabolic disorders and diagnosed diabetes were not associated with any COVID-19 outcomes.

CONCLUSION

This study provides novel insights into the comorbidity patterns that are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infections and hospitalisations, highlighting the vulnerability of those with CVD and other complex comorbidities. These findings facilitate crucial new evidence that should be considered for appropriate screening measures and tailored interventions for older adults in the ongoing global outbreak.

Risk and predictors of severity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes and COVID-19 in Dubai

BACKGROUND

Globally, patients with diabetes suffer from increased disease severity and mortality due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Old age, high body mass index (BMI), comorbidities, and complications of diabetes are recognized as major risk factors for infection severity and mortality.

AIM

To investigate the risk and predictors of higher severity and mortality among in-hospital patients with COVID-19 and type 2 diabetes (T2D) during the first wave of the pandemic in Dubai (March-September 2020).

METHODS

In this cross-sectional nested case-control study, a total of 1083 patients with COVID-19 were recruited. This study included 890 men and 193 women. Of these, 427 had T2D and 656 were non-diabetic. The clinical, radiographic, and laboratory data of the patients with and without T2D were compared. Independent predictors of mortality in COVID-19 non-survivors were identified in patients with and without T2D.

RESULTS

T2D patients with COVID-19 were older and had higher BMI than those without T2D. They had higher rates of comorbidities such as hypertension, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and more life-threatening complications. All laboratory parameters of disease severity were significantly higher than in those without T2D. Therefore, these patients had a longer hospital stay and a significantly higher mortality rate. They died from COVID-19 at a rate three times higher than patients without. Most laboratory and radiographic severity indices in non-survivors were high in patients with and without T2D. In the univariate analysis of the predictors of mortality among all COVID-19 non-survivors, significant associations were identified with old age, increased white blood cell count, lym-phopenia, and elevated serum troponin levels. In multivariate analysis, only lymphopenia was identified as an independent predictor of mortality among T2D non-survivors.

CONCLUSION

Patients with COVID-19 and T2D were older with higher BMI, more comorbidities, higher disease severity indices, more severe proinflammatory state with cardiac involvement, and died from COVID-19 at three times the rate of patients without T2D. The identified mortality predictors will help healthcare workers prioritize the management of patients with COVID-19.

The impact of long-term conditions and comorbidity patterns on COVID-19 infection and hospitalisation: a cohort study

Introduction

Older adults are usually more vulnerable to COVID-19 infections; however, little is known about which comorbidity patterns are related to a higher probability of COVID-19 infection. This study investigated the role of long-term conditions or comorbidity patterns on COVID-19 infection and related hospitalisations.

Methods

This study included 4,428 individuals from Waves 8 (2016-2017) and 9 (2018-2019) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), who also participated in the ELSA COVID-19 Substudy in 2020. Comorbidity patterns of chronic conditions were identified using an agglomerative hierarchical clustering method. The relationships between comorbidity patterns or long-term conditions and COVID-19 related outcomes were examined using multivariable logistic regression.

Results

Among a representative sample of community-dwelling older adults in England, those with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and complex comorbidities had an almost double risk of COVID-19 infection (OR=1.87, 95% CI=1.42-2.46) but not of COVID-19 related hospitalisation. A similar pattern was observed for the heterogeneous comorbidities cluster (OR=1.56, 95% CI=1.24-1.96). The individual investigations of long-term conditions with COVID-19 infection highlighted primary associations with CVD (OR=1.46, 95% CI=1.23-1.74), lung diseases (OR=1.40, 95% CI=1.17-1.69), psychiatric conditions (OR=1.40, 95% CI=1.16-1.68), retinopathy/eye diseases (OR=1.39, 95% CI=1.18-1.64), and arthritis (OR=1.27, 95% CI=1.09-1.48). In contrast, metabolic disorders and diagnosed diabetes were not associated with any COVID-19 outcomes.

Discussion/Conclusion

This study provides novel insights into the comorbidity patterns that are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infections and highlights the importance of CVD and complex comorbidities.These findings facilitate crucial new evidence for appropriate screening measures and tailored interventions for older adults in the ongoing global outbreak.

Ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 infection, hospitalisation, intensive care admission, and death: a global systematic review and meta-analysis of over 200 million study participants

Background

COVID-19 has exacerbated existing ethnic inequalities in health. Little is known about whether inequalities in severe disease and deaths, observed globally among minoritised ethnic groups, relates to greater infection risk, poorer prognosis, or both. We analysed global data on COVID-19 clinical outcomes examining inequalities between people from minoritised ethnic groups compared to the ethnic majority group.

Methods

Databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, EMCARE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library) were searched from 1st December 2019 to 3rd October 2022, for studies reporting original clinical data for COVID-19 outcomes disaggregated by ethnicity: infection, hospitalisation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and mortality. We assessed inequalities in incidence and prognosis using random-effects meta-analyses, with Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) use to assess certainty of findings. Meta-regressions explored the impact of region and time-frame (vaccine roll-out) on heterogeneity. PROSPERO: CRD42021284981.

Findings

77 studies comprising over 200,000,000 participants were included. Compared with White majority populations, we observed an increased risk of testing positive for infection for people from Black (adjusted Risk Ratio [aRR]:1.78, 95% CI:1.59-1.99, I2 = 99.1), South Asian (aRR:3.00, 95% CI:1.59-5.66, I2 = 99.1), Mixed (aRR:1.64, 95% CI:1.02-1.67, I2 = 93.2) and Other ethnic groups (aRR:1.36, 95% CI:1.01-1.82, I2 = 85.6). Black, Hispanic, and South Asian people were more likely to be seropositive. Among population-based studies, Black and Hispanic ethnic groups and Indigenous peoples had an increased risk of hospitalisation; Black, Hispanic, South Asian, East Asian and Mixed ethnic groups and Indigenous peoples had an increased risk of ICU admission. Mortality risk was increased for Hispanic, Mixed, and Indigenous groups. Smaller differences were seen for prognosis following infection. Following hospitalisation, South Asian, East Asian, Black and Mixed ethnic groups had an increased risk of ICU admission, and mortality risk was greater in Mixed ethnic groups. Certainty of evidence ranged from very low to moderate.

Interpretation

Our study suggests that systematic ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 health outcomes exist, with large differences in exposure risk and some differences in prognosis following hospitalisation. Response and recovery interventions must focus on tackling drivers of ethnic inequalities which increase exposure risk and vulnerabilities to severe disease, including structural racism and racial discrimination.

Funding

ESRC:ES/W000849/1.

Association between inflammatory cytokines/chemokines, clinical laboratory parameters, disease severity and in-hospital mortality in critical and mild COVID-19 patients without comorbidities or immune-mediated diseases

There are limited data on inflammatory cytokines and chemokines; the humoral immune response; and main clinical laboratory parameters as indicators for disease severity and mortality in patients with critical and mild COVID-19 without comorbidities or immune-mediated diseases in Saudi Arabia. We determined the expression levels of major proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines; C-reactive protein (CRP); procalcitonin; SARS-CoV-2 IgM antibody and twenty-two clinical laboratory parameters and assessed their usefulness as indicators of disease severity and in-hospital death. Our results showed a significant increase in the expression levels of SARS-CoV-2 IgM antibody; IL1-β; IL-6; IL-8; TNF-α and CRP in critical COVID-19 patients; neutrophil count; urea; creatinine and troponin were also increased. The elevation of these biomarkers was significantly associated and positively correlated with in-hospital death in critical COVID-19 patients. Our results suggest that the levels of IL1-β; IL-6; IL-8; TNF-α; and CRP; neutrophil count; urea; creatinine; and troponin could be used to predict disease severity in COVID-19 patients without comorbidities or immune-mediated diseases. These inflammatory mediators could be used as predictive early biomarkers of COVID-19 disease deterioration; shock and death among COVID-19 patients without comorbidities or immune-mediated diseases.

Association of underlying comorbidities and progression of COVID-19 infection amongst 2586 patients hospitalised in the National Capital Region of India: a retrospective cohort study

This study is conducted to observe the association of diabetes (DM), hypertension (HTN) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) on the prognosis and mortality of COVID-19 infection in hospital admitted patients with above mentioned comorbidities. This is a single centre, observational, retrospective study carried out at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, India. The burden of comorbidities on the prognosis and clinical outcome of COVID-19 patients admitted patients from April 8, 2020, to October 4, 2020. Chi-square and relative risk test were used to observe the association of comorbidities and disease prognosis. A total of 2586 patients were included in the study consisting of 69.6% of male patients. All the comorbidities were significantly associated with ICU admission and mortality. The relative risk showed that CKD is most prone to severity as well as mortality of the COVID-19 infection followed by HTN and DM. Further with the increase in number of underlying comorbidities, the risk of ICU admission and mortality also increases. Relative risk of the severity of COVID-19 infection in younger patients with underlying comorbidities are relatively at higher risk of severity of disease as well as to mortality compared to the elderly patients with similar underlying condition. Similarly, it is found that females are relatively at higher risk of mortality as compared to the males having same comorbid conditions except for the hypertensive patients. Diabetes, hypertension and CKD, all are associated with progression of COVID-19 disease to severity and higher mortality risk. The number of underlying comorbid condition is directly proportional to the progression of disease severity and mortality.

Comorbid Asthma Increased the Risk for COVID-19 Mortality in Asia: A Meta-Analysis

We aimed to explore the influence of comorbid asthma on the risk for mortality among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Asia by using a meta-analysis. Electronic databases were systematically searched for eligible studies. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was estimated by using a random-effect model. An inconsistency index (I2) was utilized to assess the statistical heterogeneity. A total of 103 eligible studies with 198,078 COVID-19 patients were enrolled in the meta-analysis; our results demonstrated that comorbid asthma was significantly related to an increased risk for COVID-19 mortality in Asia (pooled OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.20−1.68; I2 = 70%, p < 0.01). Subgroup analyses by the proportion of males, setting, and sample sizes generated consistent findings. Meta-regression indicated that male proportion might be the possible sources of heterogeneity. A sensitivity analysis exhibited the reliability and stability of the overall results. Both Begg’s analysis (p = 0.835) and Egger’s analysis (p = 0.847) revealed that publication bias might not exist. In conclusion, COVID-19 patients with comorbid asthma might bear a higher risk for mortality in Asia, at least among non-elderly individuals.

Vitamin C as a Potential Interplaying Factor between Obesity and COVID-19 Outcome

(1) Background: Obesity is a risk factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes. Obesity can interfere with the action of vitamin C. The study aimed to investigate the association between BMI and severe outcomes of COVID-19 while considering vitamin C levels; (2) Methods: This was a retrospective study of 63 COVID-19 patients treated at the NMC Royal Hospital, United Arab Emirates; (3) Results: There was no significant difference in vitamin C levels among patients in all BMI categories (p > 0.05). The risk of severe COVID-19 significantly increased by 5.4 times among class 1 obese patients compared with normal BMI (OR = 5.40, 95%CI: (1.54−21.05), p = 0.010). Vitamin C did not affect the risk of COVID-19 severity or mortality across BMI categories (p = 0.177, p > 0.05, respectively). The time till viral clearance was significantly different among patients in different BMI categories when vitamin C levels were considered (p = 0.02). Although there was no significant difference in vitamin C levels across BMI categories, there was a significant interaction between vitamin C levels and viral clearance rate in obese patients; (4) Conclusions: Given the safety of vitamin C supplements and our findings, proper vitamin C uptake and supplementation for patients of various BMI levels are encouraged.

Hospital length of stay for COVID-19 patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The length of stay in the hospital for COVID-19 can aid in understanding the disease's prognosis. Thus, the goal of this study was to collectively estimate the hospital length of stay (LoS) in COVID-19 hospitalized individuals. To locate related studies, international databases (including Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, and Scopus) were searched. The I² index, the Cochran Q test, and T² were used to analyze study heterogeneity. The mean LoS in COVID- 19 hospitalized patients was estimated using a random-effects model. COVID-19's total pooled estimated hospital LoS was 15.35, 95%CI:13.47-17.23; p<0.001, I² = 80.0). South America had the highest pooled estimated hospital LoS of COVID-19 among the continents, at 20.85 (95%CI: 14.80-26.91; p<0.001, I² = 0.01), whereas Africa had the lowest at 8.56 8 (95%CI: 1.00-22.76). The >60 age group had the highest pooled estimated COVID-19 hospital LoS of 16.60 (95%CI: 12.94-20.25; p<0.001, I² = 82.6), while the 40 age group had the lowest hospital LoS of 10.15 (95% CI: 4.90-15.39, p<0.001, I² = 22.1). The metanalysis revealed that COVID-19's hospital LoS was more than 10 days. However, it appears that this duration varies depending on a number of factors, including the patient's age and the availability of resources.

Heterogeneity and Risk of Bias in Studies Examining Risk Factors for Severe Illness and Death in COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized the evidence on the impacts of demographics and comorbidities on the clinical outcomes of COVID-19, as well as the sources of the heterogeneity and publication bias of the relevant studies. Two authors independently searched the literature from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, and CINAHL on 18 May 2021; removed duplicates; screened the titles, abstracts, and full texts by using criteria; and extracted data from the eligible articles. The variations among the studies were examined by using Cochrane, Q.; I2, and meta-regression. Out of 11,975 articles that were obtained from the databases and screened, 559 studies were abstracted, and then, where appropriate, were analyzed by meta-analysis (n = 542). COVID-19-related severe illness, admission to the ICU, and death were significantly correlated with comorbidities, male sex, and an age older than 60 or 65 years, although high heterogeneity was present in the pooled estimates. The study design, the study country, the sample size, and the year of publication contributed to this. There was publication bias among the studies that compared the odds of COVID-19-related deaths, severe illness, and admission to the ICU on the basis of the comorbidity status. While an older age and chronic diseases were shown to increase the risk of developing severe illness, admission to the ICU, and death among the COVID-19 patients in our analysis, a marked heterogeneity was present when linking the specific risks with the outcomes.

Ethnicity-Specific Features of COVID-19 Among Arabs, Africans, South Asians, East Asians, and Caucasians in the United Arab Emirates

Background

Dubai (United Arab Emirates; UAE) has a multi-national population which makes it exceptionally interesting study sample because of its unique demographic factors.

Objective

To stratify the risk factors for the multinational society of the UAE.

Methods

A retrospective chart review of 560 patients sequentially admitted to inpatient care with laboratory confirmed COVID-19 was conducted. We studied patients’ demographics, clinical features, laboratory results, disease severity, and outcomes. The parameters were compared across different ethnic groups using tree-based estimators to rank the ethnicity-specific disease features. We trained ML classification algorithms to build a model of ethnic specificity of COVID-19 based on clinical presentation and laboratory findings on admission.

Results

Out of 560 patients, 43.6% were South Asians, 26.4% Middle Easterns, 16.8% East Asians, 10.7% Caucasians, and 2.5% are under others. UAE nationals represented half of the Middle Eastern patients, and 13% of the entire cohort. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity in COVID-19 patients. Subjective complaint of fever and cough were the chief presenting symptoms. Two-thirds of the patients had either a mild disease or were asymptomatic. Only 20% of the entire cohort needed oxygen therapy, and 12% needed ICU admission. Forty patients (~7%) needed invasive ventilation and fifteen patients died (2.7%). We observed differences in disease severity among different ethnic groups. Caucasian or East-Asian COVID-19 patients tended to have a more severe disease despite a lower risk profile. In contrast to this, Middle Eastern COVID-19 patients had a higher risk factor profile, but they did not differ markedly in disease severity from the other ethnic groups. There was no noticeable difference between the Middle Eastern subethnicities—Arabs and Africans—in disease severity (p = 0.81). However, there were disparities in the SOFA score, D-dimer (p = 0.015), fibrinogen (p = 0.007), and background diseases (hypertension, p = 0.003; diabetes and smoking, p = 0.045) between the subethnicities.

Conclusion

We observed variations in disease severity among different ethnic groups. The high accuracy (average AUC = 0.9586) of the ethnicity classification model based on the laboratory and clinical findings suggests the presence of ethnic-specific disease features. Larger studies are needed to explore the role of ethnicity in COVID-19 disease features.

Impact of Age and Sex on COVID-19 Severity Assessed From Radiologic and Clinical Findings

Background

Data on the epidemiological characteristics and clinical features of COVID-19 in patients of different ages and sex are limited. Existing studies have mainly focused on the pediatric and elderly population.

Objective

Assess whether age and sex interact with other risk factors to influence the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Material and Methods

The study sample included all consecutive patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria and who were treated from 24 February to 1 July 2020 in Dubai Mediclinic Parkview (560 cases) and Al Ain Hospital (605 cases), United Arab Emirates. We compared disease severity estimated from the radiological findings among patients of different age groups and sex. To analyze factors associated with an increased risk of severe disease, we conducted uni- and multivariate regression analyses. Specifically, age, sex, laboratory findings, and personal risk factors were used to predict moderate and severe COVID-19 with conventional machine learning methods.

Results

Need for O2 supplementation was positively correlated with age. Intensive care was required more often for men of all ages (p < 0.01). Males were more likely to have at least moderate disease severity (p = 0.0083). These findings were aligned with the results of biochemical findings and suggest a direct correlation between older age and male sex with a severe course of the disease. In young males (18-39 years), the percentage of the lung parenchyma covered with consolidation and the density characteristics of lesions were higher than those of other age groups; however, there was no marked sex difference in middle-aged (40-64 years) and older adults (≥65 years). From the univariate analysis, the risk of the non-mild COVID-19 was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in midlife adults and older adults compared to young adults. The multivariate analysis provided similar findings.

Conclusion

Age and sex were important predictors of disease severity in the set of data typically collected on admission. Sexual dissimilarities reduced with age. Age disparities were more pronounced if studied with the clinical markers of disease severity than with the radiological markers. The impact of sex on the clinical markers was more evident than that of age in our study.

Factors Associated for Mortality of Older People With COVID 19: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background

Whilst people of all ages are affected in some way by COVID-19 virus, older people are at a high mortality risk. This study aimed to systematically review the numerous factors associated with mortality among COVID-19 infected older people.

Method

PubMed and Science Direct were searched from inception to the April 15, 2021. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 statement and Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool to assess the methodological quality of the included studies.

Results

Of the 4957 studies identified, 20 were included in the qualitative analysis, while 10 were included in the quantitative analysis. Male sex (OR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.23-3.99), age (over 75 years old) (OR = 3.36, 95% CI = 2.30-4.90), Dementia (OR = 3.69, 95% CI = 1.99-6.83) and Dyspnoea (OR = 3.16, 95% CI = 2.61-3.82), were found to be significantly associated with mortality. There is no significant association between Diabetes, or Hypertension.

Conclusion

Older age, male gender, dyspnoea and dementia were associated with a greater risk of death of older people from COVID-19 infection. These findings may help health care professionals to identify high-risk groups, facilitate appropriate remedial measures, and control mortality among older people.

Preventive steps implemented on geriatric services in the primary health care centers during COVID-19 pandemic

Background: The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the delivery of medical care across the world. The objective of the study is to understand and document the preventive steps implemented on geriatric services in the primary health care centers during COVID-19 pandemic.

Design and methods: This is a retrospective study carried on geriatric services utilization (Geriatric Clinic, Osteoporosis Clinic, Memory and Dementia Clinic) in primary health care centers in Dubai Health Authority in 2020.

Results: The study showed that the overall in person visits for all geriatric service in 2020 declined by almost 70%. The total number of telephone consultations in geriatric clinics, osteoporosis clinics and memory clinics were 1479, 1149 and 104 respectively. The COVID-19 pandemic had led to a reduction in most of the geriatric services including outpatient clinics, screening and referral. Telephone consultation provided a foundation for delivery of the service.

Conclusions: This study reflected the potential for telehealth services to bring benefits and convenience to the geriatric population, even after the end of the pandemic.