Female COVID patients were at higher risk, says study

Female COVID-19 patients were “relatively at higher risk of mortality” as compared to males having the same comorbid conditions like diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease during the first wave of the pandemic in India, according to a retrospective study.

The study was conducted by researchers at Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on a group of patients admitted to the facility.

Also read: G-7 summit in Germany to discuss climate change, energy, COVID

The study on 2,586 hospitalised COVID patients has been published on June 25 in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Springer Nature journal, the hospital said in a statement. The patients were divided into two categories, those aged between 18 and 59 years, and those above 60.

As per the journal, the study was conducted to observe the association of diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease on the prognosis and mortality of COVID infection in hospital-admitted patients with these comorbidities, and the burden of comorbidities on the prognosis and clinical outcome of COVID patients admitted patients from April 8, 2020, to October 4, 2020.

“All the comorbidities were significantly associated with ICU admission and mortality. The relative risk showed that chronic kidney disease is most prone to severity as well as mortality of the COVID infection followed by hypertension and diabetes. Further, with the increase in the number of underlying comorbidities, the risk of ICU admission and mortality also increases. Relative risk of the severity of COVID infection in younger patients with underlying comorbidities are relatively at higher risk of severity of disease as well as to mortality compared to the elderly patients with similar underlying condition,” the researchers said.

Also read: India records 17,073 new Covid cases, 21 deaths; daily positivity rate 5.62%

Of the 2,586 patients, 779 (30.1%) needed ICU admission while 1,807 (69.9%) were not admitted in the ICU. Out of these hospitalised patients, mortality was reported for 317 (12.3%) patients, according to the hospital.

“A retrospective study was conducted by researchers of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on 2,586 COVID-19 hospitalised patients, who were admitted in the hospital from April 8 October 4 in 2020 (first wave) to observe the association of diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease on the prognosis and mortality of COVID-19 infection in hospitalised patients.” it said.

According to Dr Rashmi Rana, its author and consultant in the department of research, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, “Our study also found that females were relatively at higher risk of mortality as compared to males having same co-morbid conditions, except hypertensive patients”.

“Study showed that risk of the severity of COVID-19 infection in younger patients with underlying comorbidities were found to be relatively at higher risk of severity of disease as well as to mortality compared to elderly patients with similar underlying condition,” Dr. Vivek Ranjan, co-author and chairperson, department of blood transfusion at the hospital, said.

Dr. Atul Gogia, co-author and senior consultant, department of medicine, said, “In our study, patients with chronic kidney disease were found to be more prone to disease progression, complications and mortality followed by hypertension and diabetes”.

According to Dr. D S Rana, co-author and chairperson, department of renal Sciences, “On comparing the impact of multiple comorbidities with the severity of COVID-19 infection, it was found that presence of comorbidity poses greater risk of ICU admission.”

“As the number of comorbidities increased, the risk of severity of COVID-19 infection also increases significantly,” the doctor said.

(With inputs from Agencies)