ABSTRACT
Introduction: COVID-19 is an acute viral infection that mainly affects the respiratory system leading to mortality. Therefore, positive COVID-19 patients may require intensive care unit (ICU) admission in severe cases. Many factors are thought to exacerbate the symptoms of COVID-19 resulting in increased mortality, smoking, hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are on the top of these factors. Objective(s): This study was designed to detect the strength of association between death rate among COVID-19 ICU admitted patients and being smokers, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), or hypertension. Material(s) and Method(s): A cross-sectional study was conducted. A sample of 302 patients included all COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU of the central hospital in Amman, Jordan, in July 2021. Result(s) and Conclusion(s): Of the total 302 patients, 171 were smokers. the death rate among smokers (67.25%) was significantly higher than (53.43%) among non-smokers X2= 5.966, p=0.0145. We found that 118 cases had T2DM. the death rate among patient with T2DM (62.71%) was insignificantly higher than (60.32%) among non-diabetic patients X2= 0.172, p=0.67. Of the 130 COVID-19 patients with hypertension, the death rate was (70.76%) significantly higher than (54.1%) among those without hypertension X2= 8.70, p=0.0031. Moreover, by using the OR and 95% CI. Interestingly, we found that smokers were almost two times significantly more prone to death than nonsmokers (OR=1.79, 95%CI:1.12 - 2.86, p=0.015). Also, patients with hypertension were two times significantly more prone to death than normotensive patients, (OR=2.06, 95% CI: 1.27 - 3.33, p=0.0034). On the other hand, T2DM showed an insignificant risk factor (OR=1.11) for death. 95% CI: 0.687- 1.78, p=0.6780. Smoking and hypertension act as significant risk factors to increase mortality in COVID-19 patients.