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SARS-CoV-2 Cycle Thresholds, Poverty, Race, and Clinical Outcomes.
Frida Rivera1, Cameron G Gmehlin2, Liliana E Pezzin3,4
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
WMJ : Official Publication of the State Medical Society of Wisconsin
|January 13, 2022
Summary
High viral load in COVID-19 patients is linked to longer hospital stays and increased risk of in-hospital death. Poverty and social disadvantage were not found to be significant factors in this study.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Poverty and high viral load are known risk factors for adverse outcomes in COVID-19 patients.
- Understanding the interplay between socioeconomic factors and viral load is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral load and patient outcomes.
- To determine if poverty and residence in socially disadvantaged areas modify this association.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of patients admitted to Froedtert Health from March 16 to June 1, 2020.
- SARS-CoV-2 viral load proxied by cycle-threshold (CT) values.
- Poverty measured by Medicaid status, uninsured status, and area-level disadvantage indices.
Main Results:
- Higher SARS-CoV-2 viral load was significantly associated with increased length of hospital stay (P=0.006).
- Higher viral load was also significantly associated with a higher likelihood of in-hospital death (P<0.001).
- Poverty, residence in disadvantaged areas, and race were not found to be significant predictors of outcomes in this cohort.
Conclusions:
- This study confirms a significant association between SARS-CoV-2 viral load and in-hospital mortality.
- The findings highlight the independent prognostic value of viral load in COVID-19 patients, even after accounting for socioeconomic factors.
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