Effects of Demographic Factors and Comorbidities on SAR-CoV-2 (Coronavirus) Severity in Southern New Mexico

Globally, COVID-19 has caused widespread morbidity and mortality, with comorbidities and demographic disparities shaping risk of severe illness. Although much focus has been on high-population areas and areas with deep public health responses, relatively few studies have examined the Southwestern U.S., particularly the interborder region with Mexico. This study investigates how the COVID-19 pandemic affected patients with common comorbid conditions and examines and compares outcomes in border counties and selected nonborder counties in southern New Mexico.

The data set of COVID-19-positive patients (N=93,586) was collected from the New Mexico Department of Health (June 2020-December 2022). This study examined the associations between demographic characteristics; underlying comorbidities; and COVID-19 outcomes, including hospitalization and death.

The patients assessed were more likely to be female (54.8%), Hispanic (48.5%), and border county residents (95.7%). Of all patients, 4,445 (4.8%) were hospitalized, and 1,517 (1.6%) died. Hispanics were associated with higher deaths (OR=1.60; 95% CI=1.28, 1.99), whereas hospitalization did not differ by ethnicity (p=0.072). Nonborder resident status (p<0.001) and pre-existing conditions were significantly associated with increased risk of hospitalization (OR=4.87; 95% CI=3.99, 6.00) and mortality (OR=2.92; 95% CI=1.72, 5.33). All comorbidities except psychiatric conditions were risk factors for severity and all-cause mortality (all p<0.001).

This study identified key demographic and clinical factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 outcomes in the New Mexico-Mexico border region. Older age, male adults, residence in nonborder counties, and pre-existing medical conditions were significant predictors of hospitalization and mortality, with several comorbidities showing particularly strong associations. Unlike other studies, in the New Mexico/Mexico region, the greater access to screening and medical services in border zones, given the proximity to 2 larger cities (Las Cruces, NM and El Paso, TX), resulted in improved outcomes than in less well-resourced counties in New Mexico. State departments of health should target state regions with less access to nearby populated areas for their efforts to mitigate these disparities and improve health outcomes.