Keywords
COVID-19
Comorbidity
Patient Severity
Mortality
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Abstract
Objective: To analyze the risk factors associated with the severity of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from electronic medical records of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 between January and December 2020. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were analyzed, as well as the following outcomes: case evolution (recovery or death) and disease severity indicators — length of hospital stay (≥ 9 days), admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), length of ICU stay (≥ 6 days), use of ventilatory support, and orotracheal intubation (OTI). Associated factors were examined using crude and adjusted Relative Risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (95CI). Results: In the sample (n=676), a higher risk of ICU admission was observed among hypertensive patients (RR=1.47; 95CI 1.11–1.94), while OTI was more frequent among smokers (RR=1.44; 95CI 1.04–2.00). Moreover, the risk of death was higher among hypertensive individuals (RR=1.78; 95 CI 1.28–2.46) and those with previous neurological disease (RR=2.58; 95CI 1.56–4.28). Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of public health policies aimed not only at preventing severe respiratory infections but also at controlling and reducing risk factors.
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