6.5% Covid-19 patients died post-discharge, 17.1% reported persistent health issues, shows ICMR study

At least 6.5 per cent of Covid-19 patients died, and 17.1 per cent reported persistent health issues one year after being discharged from the hospital, according to a study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The study revealed that male gender, severity of disease and co-morbidities played a major role in these outcomes.

Conducted between September 2020 and February 2023, the study analysed data from 31 hospitals registered in the National Clinical Registry for Covid-19. Published in the latest issue of the Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR), the investigation aimed to understand the factors contributing to post-discharge mortality among Covid-19 patients, with a focus on individuals aged 18–45 years. Researchers used a series of three nested case-control analyses to compare cases of patients who had died after discharge with controls who remained alive. Matching was done based on the date of hospital admission, and the study encompassed various comparisons.

Among the 14,419 participants who were followed up at least once between four weeks and one year post-discharge, 942 (6.5 per cent) had died, and the remaining 93.5 per cent were reported alive at any contact during one year of follow-up.

The results were significant, highlighting a one-year post-discharge mortality rate of 6.5 per cent. The study identified several factors associated with higher odds of post-discharge mortality. Age played a crucial role, with those aged 18 and under, 40–59, and 60 and above showing increasing adjusted odds ratios for mortality, the study said. Male gender, moderate-to-severe Covid-19 cases, and the presence of co-morbidities were also linked to elevated mortality odds.

In the 18–45 age group, a history of moderate-to-severe Covid-19 and the presence of any co-morbidities were connected to higher odds of post-discharge mortality. Approximately 17.1 per cent of participants reported a Post Covid Condition (PCC), indicating persistent health issues post-recovery. The study also found that death beyond the first follow-up was associated with co-morbidities and reported PCC. “Moderate-to-severe disease, being linked to post-discharge all-cause mortality, indicates lingering damage due to COVID-19,” the study said.

Interestingly, vaccination before Covid-19 infection offered 60 per cent protection against post-discharge mortality, it further said. “Prior vaccination protects against post-discharge mortality till one year in hospitalized Covid-19 patients. PCC may have long-term deleterious effects, including mortality, for which further research is warranted,” the study said.