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Factors associated with COVID-19-related death using OpenSAFELY

Elizabeth J Williamson1, Alex J Walker2, Krishnan Bhaskaran1

  • 1London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London, UK.

Nature
|July 9, 2020
PubMed

Insights

This study identified key risk factors for COVID-19 death, including male sex, older age, and certain medical conditions. Ethnic minority groups, particularly Black and South Asian individuals, faced higher risks even after adjustments.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Health Informatics

Background:

  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused significant global mortality.
  • Understanding risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes is crucial for public health interventions.
  • Timely analysis of large-scale patient data is essential for identifying at-risk populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine factors associated with COVID-19-related death using a secure health analytics platform.
  • To identify demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical predictors of mortality in a large adult cohort.
  • To provide evidence for targeted public health strategies and clinical management.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized OpenSAFELY, a secure health analytics platform covering 40% of England's patients.
  • Pseudonymously linked primary care electronic health records of 17,278,392 adults with 10,926 COVID-19-related deaths.
  • Employed survival analysis to determine hazard ratios for various risk factors.

Main Results:

  • Male sex, increasing age, and deprivation were significantly associated with higher COVID-19 mortality risk.
  • Pre-existing conditions including diabetes and severe asthma increased the risk of death.
  • Black and South Asian ethnic groups showed a higher risk of COVID-19-related death compared to White individuals, even after adjusting for other factors.

Conclusions:

  • Quantified numerous clinical factors linked to COVID-19 mortality in a large cohort study.
  • Highlighted significant ethnic disparities in COVID-19 outcomes.
  • Emphasized the ongoing expansion of the OpenSAFELY platform for continuous results updates.

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