Predictors of Mortality among Hospitalized Patients in a Tertiary Care Center across Three COVID-19 Waves

Several studies conducted across the globe have stated the most frequent risk factors linked to increased severity and death related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Despite the huge impact SARS-CoV-2 had on India, there is a lack of adequate research on the epidemiology and predictors of mortality due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The study aims to assess the predictors of mortality among COVID-19 patients admitted to a tertiary healthcare hospital in central India across the first, second, and third COVID-19 waves.

This record-based cross-sectional study was conducted using secondary data of patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 between September 2020 and October 2022 in a designated COVID-19 treatment center.

Data on 861 adult patients were analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 52.87 ± 14.21 years, with the majority of them being females (573, 66.6%). Results showed no significant difference between men and women infected with COVID-19. During the complete course of the pandemic age patients, a history of hypertension, cough, dyspnea, myalgia, loss of taste, loss of smell, computed tomography (CT) score, and invasive ventilation was significantly associated with mortality of COVID-19 patients. Among the COVID-19 approved pharmacotherapy, steroids significantly (p-value < 0.000) lowered the risk of mortality [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.134; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.071-0.255] in COVID-19 hospitalized patients.

Various sociodemographic and clinical profile predictors were associated with COVID-19 infection among pharmacotherapies. Steroid use helped lower the risk of mortality associated with COVID-19. More studies will help us to understand the various characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus more elaborately, so as to ensure the proper preparedness of the healthcare system for future COVID-19 impacts.