29.2 percent died during hospitalization or within 60 days of discharge; ongoing morbidity was common
TUESDAY, Nov. 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Almost 30 percent of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 died during hospitalization or within 60 days after discharge, according to a research letter published online Nov. 11 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Vineet Chopra, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues describe 60-day postdischarge outcomes for 1,648 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and discharged between March 16 and July 1, 2020, at 38 hospitals.
The researchers found that 24.2 percent of the COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals died and 75.8 percent (1,250 patients) survived. Of those discharged alive, 78.0 and 12.6 percent went home and were discharged to a skilled nursing or rehabilitation facility, respectively. An additional 84 patients (6.7 percent of hospital survivors and 10.4 percent of intensive care unit-treated survivors) had died by 60 days after discharge, resulting in an overall mortality rate of 29.2 percent. Overall, 15.1 percent of hospital survivors were rehospitalized within 60 days of discharge. Of the 488 patients alive at 60 days after discharge who completed a 60-day postdischarge telephone interview, 265 reported seeing a primary care physician within two weeks and 159 reported cardiopulmonary symptoms, including 92 with new or worsening symptoms. Nearly half (238 of 488) reported being emotionally affected by their health, and 179 reported at least a mild financial impact of hospitalization.
“These findings suggest that better models to support COVID-19 survivors are necessary,” the authors write.
Several authors disclosed financial ties to the health insurance and publishing industries.
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