ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between chronic liver disease (CLD) caused by viral hepatitis and COVID-19 hospitalisation, as well as the risk of disease progression and mortality among COVID-19 hospitalised patients in relation to their prior CLD status. STUDY DESIGN: A cohort study. Place and Duration of the study: Bahawal Victoria Hospital and Sir Sadiq Abbasi hospital, affiliated with Qauid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, Pakistan, from July to December 2021. METHODOLOGY: In the main group analysis, the risk of hospitalisation for COVID-19 among CLD patients was determined, with the presence of CLD due to chronic viral hepatitis B and C as the exposure variable and hospitalisation for COVID-19 as the outcome measure. Patients hospitalised for a medical condition other than COVID-19 (non-COVID medical admissions) served as an external control group. In the sub-group analysis, the risk of disease severity and mortality were determined among COVID-19 admitted patients having a prior status of CLD, with disease progression to death serving as the primary outcome measure while the exposure variable remained the same as in the main analysis. RESULTS: A total of 3,976 participants [mean age 51 ±14.8 years; 54.1% men; 1616 hospitalised with COVID-19, including 27 (1.7%) exposed to CLD; and 2,360 non-COVID medical admissions, including 208 (8.8%) exposed to CLD] were evaluated. There was less likelihood of hospitalisation for COVID-19 among patients with CLD (1.7% vs. 8.8%; RR=0.270; 95% CI=0.189, 0.386; p<0.001). There was less risk of death among CLD patients admitted for COVID-19 when compared with those admitted for non-COVID CLD-related complications (14.8% vs. 35.1%; RR= 0.422; 95% CI=0.168-1.06; p=0.035). Among COVID-19 admissions, CLD was associated with a decreased risk of death compared with other comorbid conditions (14.8% vs. 36.9%; RR=0.401; 95% CI=0.162-0.994; p=0.04). CONCLUSION: CLD caused by viral hepatitis was significantly less likely to be present among COVID-19 hospitalised patients. There was a lower risk of severe COVID-19 and mortality owing to it among CLD patients compared to those with other comorbid conditions. KEY WORDS: COVID-19, Hospitalisations, Chronic liver disease, Viral hepatitis, COVID-19 severity, Death outcome.