Epidemiological Risk Factors for Acquiring Severe COVID-19: Prospective Cohort Study

Oman Medical Journal

Dalal Salim Al Dhahli5,¹  Faryal Khamis²  Asila Mohammed Alhadidi³  Nadiya Salim Al Shabibi³  Jaleela Al Noumani³  Ozayr Mahomed⁴  Ronald Wesonga⁵  Muna Al Shuabi⁵  Salah T. Al Awaidy⁶  Majda Al Wahebi⁶ 

[1] ;Adult Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman;Department of Nursing, Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman;Department of Public Health Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa;Departments of Statistics, College of Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman;Office of Health Affairs, Ministry of Health, Muscat, Oman;

关键词: covid-19;    risk factors;    hospitalization;    hospitals;    health facilities;    oman;   

DOI  :  10.5001/omj.2021.127

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Objectives: We aimed to determine epidemiological risk factors associated with acquiring severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients requiring hospitalization. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted using a questionnaire comprised of six closed-ended questions to identify potential risk factors for severe COVID-19. Using COVID-19 associated illnesses and complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, need for mechanical ventilation, acute kidney failure, cardiac failure, and thromboembolic events), we derived an index variable to measure the severity of COVID-19 in patients. Results: We included 143 adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 of whom 62.2% (n = 89) were male and 37.8% (n = 54) were female. The average age of the cohort was 50.6±16.5 years. Our study found that being a female, working at the health care facility, being a healthcare worker, attending a mass gathering within the last 14 days, attending a gathering with 10 persons or less, and being admitted to a hospital were associated with increased risk of developing severe COVID-19. The only risk factor associated with severe COVID-19 was working at a health care facility (odds ratio = 33.42, p =0.029). Conclusions: Intervention directed to control risk factors associated with acquiring severe COVID-19 should be a core priority for all countries, especially among high-risk occupations and workplaces, including working at a health care facility. A risk-based approach to prioritize vaccination among these high-risk individuals should be supported to strengthen the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions.

【 授权许可】

Unknown