COVID-19 mortality and its risk factors: A single-center observational study

Objectives: To determine COVID-19 mortality and its risk factors in hospitalized patients at of a tertiary care center in north India. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted of patients who were hospitalized from May 2020 to January 2021. The in-hospital mortality was assessed, and demographic variables and comorbidities between COVID-19 deaths and survivors were compared. Results: A total of 24 000 patients were admitted during the study period, among which 17 000 had shown positive results of the RT-PCR test for COVID-19. The total mortality was 329 patients (1.37%), among which 232 (70.52%) succumbed due to COVID-19, and 97 (29.48%) died due to other illnesses. The mean age of the patients was (64.09±16.99) years. The mean age was significantly higher in COVID-19 related deaths [(67.63±13.78) years] as compared to that of the survivors [(60.52±19.5) years] (P<0.001). Compared to COVID-19 survivors, there were more males (72.41% v.s. 61.5%) and less females (27.59% v.s. 38.5%) in COVID-19 related deaths (P=0.001). Comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease showed a significant correlation with COVID-19 mortality with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.389 (95% CI: 1.465-2.982), 3.891 (95% CI: 2.059-5.392), and 6.358 (95% CI: 5.675-10.564), respectively. Conclusions: Elderly males with comorbidities have higher risk for mortality related to COVID-19. Ongoing vaccination drive is rightfully prioritised to serve the high-risk category first.