Factores sociodemográficos y clínicos asociados a la mortalidad de pacientes con COVID-19 en República Dominicana
Introduction: COVID-19 associated mortality has not been described yet, at population-based level, in the Dominican Republic.
Methods: Observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional, population-based study, implemented during the period of March 1st, 2020 – December 31st, 2021. Central trend measurements, odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI 95%) were calculated. A logistic regression analysis was also performed. Alpha error was set at 0.05.
Results: 486,710 SARS-CoV-2 positive cases were reported during the study period, with 264,744 (54.39%) being female. The age group with the highest number of reported cases was 30 to 39 years of age (n=118,499; 24.35%). Of the total number of cases, 8,484 (1.74%) had comorbidities, the most frequent being hypertension (n=4,199; 49.49%) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (n=2,304; 27.15%). Male patients were 1.98 (95% CI: 1.86-2.1) times more likely to die than female, and the risk of dying was 166.5 (CI95%: 106.84-259.36) times higher in patients older than 79 years of age. Patients with diabetes had 56-fold risk (IC95%: 51-62) of dying, while patients with hypertension were 52-fold (IC95%: 48-56). When the logistic regression model was performed, hypertension (OR=29.4), asthma (OR=5.6), HIV (OR=5.6) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (OR=4.5) remained as risk factors.
Conclusions: In the Dominican Republic, male patients, older than 79 years of age and with co-morbidities (hypertension, asthma, HIV and diabetes), have a greater probability of dying of COVID-19. Prospective studies are necessary to elucidate the veracity of the information presented in this report.
Keywords:
Coronavirus disease 2019; Dominican Republic; epidemiology; mortality; comorbidity