Trends in COVID‐19–Attributable Hospitalizations Among Adults With Laboratory‐Confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2—COVID‐NET, June 2020 to September 2023
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Screening for SARS-CoV-2 infection among hospital admissions made interpretation of COVID-19 hospitalization data challenging as SARS-CoV-2-positive persons with mild or asymptomatic infection may be incorrectly identified as COVID-19-associated hospitalizations. The study objective is to estimate the proportion of hospitalizations likely attributable to COVID-19 among SARS-CoV-2-positive hospitalized patients. METHODS: A sample of laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2-positive hospitalizations from the COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET) from June 2020 to September 2023 was analyzed, with a focus on July 2022 to September 2023. Likely COVID-19-attributable hospitalizations were defined as hospitalizations among SARS-CoV-2-positive non-pregnant adults ages ≥ 18 years with COVID-19-related presenting complaint, treatment, or discharge diagnosis. RESULTS: Among 44,816 sampled hospitalizations, 90% met the definition of likely COVID-19-attributable. Among the 9866 admissions occurring during July 2022 to September 2023, 86% were likely COVID-19-attributable; 87% had a COVID-19-related presenting complaint, 64% received steroids or COVID-19-related treatment, 47% had respiratory- and 10% had coagulopathy-related discharge diagnoses, and 39% had COVID-19 as the principal discharge diagnosis code. More than 70% met ≥ 2 criteria. Compared with likely COVID-19-attributable hospitalizations, SARS-CoV-2-positive patients who did not meet the case definition were more likely to be ages 18-49 years (27% vs. 13%), have no underlying medical conditions (14% vs. 4%), or be asymptomatic for COVID-19 upon admission (46% vs. 10%) (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Most hospitalizations among SARS-CoV-2-positive adults in a recent period were likely attributable to COVID-19. COVID-19-attributable hospitalizations are less common among younger SARS-CoV-2-positive hospitalized adults but still account for nearly three quarters of all admissions among SARS-CoV-2-positive adults in this age group.
DOI: 10.1111/irv.70021
Authors: Christopher A. Taylor, Michael Whitaker, Monica E. Patton, Michael Melgar, Pam Daily Kirley, Breanna Kawasaki, Kimberly Yousey‐Hindes, Kyle P. Openo, Patricia A. Ryan, Sue Kim, Kathryn Como‐Sabetti, Dominic Solhtalab, Grant Barney, Brenda L. Tesini, Nancy E. Moran, Melissa Sutton, H. Keipp Talbot, Kristen Olsen, Fiona P. Havers
Institutions: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, United States Public Health Service, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Yale University, Emory University, Veterans Health Administration, Georgia Department of Public Health, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Maryland Department of Health, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Minnesota Department of Health, New York State Department of Health, University of Rochester Medicine, University of Rochester, Ohio Department of Health, Oregon Health Authority, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,620
OpenAlex ID: W4404087595