Background: Several risk factors are associated with COVID-19 severity and death, such as advanced age, male sex, and the presence of comorbidities.
Aim: To study the effect of these risk factors and socioeconomic variables on the outcome of Chilean patients admitted with COVID-19 to a Chilean public hospital.
Material and methods: Review of medical records of patients admitted to a Chilean public hospital with a positive PCR test for COVID-19, Chile from March to June 2020. The outcome variable was severity (ICU admission or death). The exposure variables were age, sex, socioeconomic level, and comorbidities. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed.
Results: Of 1,141 confirmed cases, 266 cases had a severe evolution (23.3%), including 147 deaths (fatality 12.9%). Advanced age and low socioeconomic status were the variables most strongly associated with severity. An age of 80 years or over had an odds ratio (OR) = 11.1 [95% confidence intervals (CI) 5.22-23.53]. The OR [95% CI] for a low socioeconomic level was 3.1 [1.1-8.5]. The figure for male sex was 2.13 [1.5-3.0], for chronic kidney disease was 2.65 [1.49-4.73], for obesity was 2.36 [1.65-3.39], and for diabetes 1.78 [1.22-2.61]. No significant association with severity was found for high blood pressure, chronic pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, or smoking.
Conclusions: Following age, a low socioeconomic level was the factor with the higher association with a poor outcome or severe evolution of COVID-19.