Insights from Chilean NCDs Hospitalization Data during COVID-19.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic altered lifestyles globally, impacting mental and physical health, especially for those with comorbidities and non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
• Sedentary behaviors and lifestyle changes during the pandemic potentially exacerbated health risks for vulnerable populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze COVID-19 cases, differentiating between hospitalized and non-hospitalized individuals with comorbidities.
• To assess the monthly percentage changes in COVID-19 cases among different comorbidity groups using Chilean public health data.

Main Methods:

• Utilized open-access data from the Chilean Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation.
• Calculated Average Monthly Percentage Change (AMPC) and Monthly Percentage Change (MPC) for COVID-19 cases stratified by comorbidity status.

Main Results:

• COVID-19 predominantly affected patients with comorbidities, including cardiovascular risk factors.
• Hospitalized cases with obesity and chronic lung disease showed significant increases (AMPC = 20.8% and 19.4%, respectively).
• Non-hospitalized cases with comorbidities also increased significantly (AMPC = 15.6% to 30.3%).

Conclusions:

• Increased hospitalizations and non-hospitalizations among individuals with comorbidities may be linked to reduced physical activity during the pandemic.
• A healthy lifestyle, particularly regular physical activity, could mitigate COVID-19 severity and related adverse events, especially for the NCD population.