Palliative care in critically ill COVID-19 patients: the early New York City experience.

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic in the USA has been accompanied by high rates of mortality and an unprecedented need for palliative care delivery. Little is known about the use of palliative care services in intensive care unit (ICU) settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of critically ill COVID-19 patients requiring ICU admission, between 7 March and 14 April 2020 to two academic teaching hospitals in New York City. Palliative care consultation included a one-time telemedicine consultation or continued telemedicine consultation and follow-up with multidisciplinary team involvement. Patient information was collected from the electronic health record and analyses were conducted with Stata V.15.1 (StataCorp) statistical software. RESULTS: A total of 151 critically ill patients with COVID-19 pneumonia requiring ICU admission were identified, of whom 59 (39.07%) received an inpatient palliative care consultation. More than half of patients died (n=85/151, 56.29%), with 57.65% (n=49/85) of these patients receiving palliative care services during their hospitalisation. Patients who received palliative care consultation were more likely to be older, sicker and receive mechanical ventilation than their counterparts. Patients who died and did not receive palliative care were younger and required non-invasive ventilation support. CONCLUSION: There is a lack of utilisation of palliative care in COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU. Further research into predictors of poor outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients may help identify patients that would benefit from early palliative care involvement going forward.

A novel evidence-based predictor tool for hospitalization and length of stay: insights from COVID-19 patients in New York city.

Predictive models for key outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can optimize resource utilization and patient outcome. We aimed to design and internally validate a web-based calculator predictive of hospitalization and length of stay (LOS) in a large cohort of COVID-19-positive patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) in a New York City health system. The study cohort consisted of consecutive adult (> 18 years) patients presenting to the ED of Mount Sinai Health System hospitals between March 2020 and April 2020, diagnosed with COVID-19. Logistic regression was utilized to construct predictive models for hospitalization and prolonged (> 3 days) LOS. Discrimination was evaluated using area under the receiver operating curve (AUC). Internal validation with bootstrapping was performed, and a web-based calculator was implemented. From 5859 patients, 65% were hospitalized. Independent predictors of hospitalization and extended LOS included older age, chronic kidney disease, elevated maximum temperature, and low minimum oxygen saturation (p < 0.001). Additional predictors of hospitalization included male sex, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, and diabetes. AUCs of 0.881 and 0.770 were achieved for hospitalization and LOS, respectively. Elevated levels of CRP, creatinine, and ferritin were key determinants of hospitalization and LOS (p < 0.05). A calculator was made available under the following URL: https://covid19-outcome-prediction.shinyapps.io/COVID19_Hospitalization_Calculator/ . This study yielded internally validated models that predict hospitalization risk in COVID-19-positive patients, which can be used to optimize resource allocation. Predictors of hospitalization and extended LOS included older age, CKD, fever, oxygen desaturation, elevated C-reactive protein, creatinine, and ferritin.

The longitudinal psychological, physical activity, and financial impact of a COVID-19 lockdown on older adults in Singapore: The PIONEER-COVID population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Several countries have implemented 'lockdown' measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). AIMS: To examine the psychological, physical activity (PA), and financial impact of a 2-month COVID-19 lockdown on older adults aged ≥60 years in Singapore, and to identify factors associated with adverse lockdown-related outcomes. METHOD: We interviewed 496 community-dwelling adults (mean age [standard deviation]: 73.8 [7.6] years; 54.8% female) during the lockdown who had previously participated in a population-based epidemiological study. Validated questionnaires were utilised to assess loneliness and depressive symptoms at both timepoints, while inhouse questionnaires were used to assess PA and financial difficulty during lockdown. Multivariable regression models determined the lockdown-related change in loneliness and depression scores, and the factors associated with adverse outcomes. RESULTS: Loneliness increased significantly during the lockdown period (p < 0.001) while depressive symptoms decreased (p = 0.022). Decreased PA, greater financial problems, male gender, Indian ethnicity, living alone, having a greater body mass index and perceived susceptibility to COVID-19 were all associated with worsening loneliness scores. A total of 36.9% and 19.6% participants reported decreased PA and had financial problems during the lockdown, respectively. Unemployment was associated with decreased PA, while self-employed individuals, cleaners, retail workers and smokers had greater odds of experiencing financial difficulty. CONCLUSION: Despite a decrease in depressive symptoms, our population of older Asians reported a significant increase in loneliness and decreased PA, with one-fifth experiencing financial problems during lockdown. Our data suggest that more targeted public health efforts are needed to reduce repercussions of future lockdowns.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practice towards COVID-19 among multi-ethnic elderly Asian residents in Singapore: a mixed methods study.

INTRODUCTION: We investigated knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) about COVID-19 and related preventive measures in Singaporeans aged ≥ 60 years. METHODS: This was a population-based, cross-sectional, mixed-methods study (13 May 2020-9 June 2020) of participants aged ≥60 years. Self-reported KAP about ten COVID-19 symptoms and six government-endorsed preventive measures were evaluated. Multivariable regression models identified sociodemographic and health-related factors associated with knowledge, attitudes and practices in our sample. Associations between knowledge/attitude scores, and practice categories were determined using logistic regression. 78 participants were interviewed qualitatively about practice of additional preventive measures and data were analysed thematically. RESULTS: Mean awareness score of the symptoms was 7.2/10. Fever (93.0%) and diarrhoea (33.5%) were the most- and least-known symptoms, respectively. Most knew all six preventive measures (90.4%), perceived them as effective (78.7%), and practiced 'wear a mask' (97.2%). Indians, Malays, and those in smaller housing had poorer mean knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms scores. Older participants had poorer attitudes towards preventive measures. Compared to Chinese, Indians had lower odds of practicing 3/6 recommendations. A one-point increase in knowledge of and attitudes towards preventive measures score had higher odds of always practicing 3/6 and 2/6 measures, respectively. Qualitative interviews revealed use of other preventive measures, e.g. maintaining a healthy lifestyle. CONCLUSION: Elderly Singaporeans displayed high levels of KAP about COVID-19 and related preventive measures, with a positive association between levels of knowledge/attitude, and practice. However, important ethnic and socioeconomic disparities were evident, suggesting key vulnerabilities remain, requiring immediate attention.

Asthma and COVID-19: lessons learned and questions that remain.

INTRODUCTION: Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide. As a disease of the respiratory tract, the site of entry for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, there may be an important interplay between asthma and COVID-19 disease. AREAS COVERED: We report asthma prevalence among hospitalized cohorts with COVID-19. Those with non-allergic and severe asthma may be at increased risk of a worsened clinical outcome from COVID-19 infection. We explore the epidemiology of asthma as a risk factor for the severity of COVID-19 infection. We then consider the role COVID-19 may play in leading to exacerbations of asthma. The impact of asthma endotype on outcome is discussed. Lastly, we address the safety of common asthma therapeutics. A literature search was performed with relevant terms for each of the sections of the review using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Medline. EXPERT OPINION: Asthma diagnosis may be a risk factor for severe COVID-19 especially for those with severe disease or nonallergic phenotypes. COVID-19 does not appear to provoke asthma exacerbations and asthma therapeutics should be continued for patients with exposure to COVID-19. Clearly much regarding this topic remains unknown and we identify some key questions that may be of interest for future researchers.[Figure: see text].

Impact of corticosteroids in hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: Corticosteroids are a potential therapeutic agent for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. The RECOVERY (Randomised Trials in COVID-19 Therapy) trial provided data on the mortality benefits of corticosteroids. The study aimed to determine the association between corticosteroid use on mortality and infection rates and to define subgroups who may benefit from corticosteroids in a real-world setting. METHODS: Clinical data were extracted that included demographic, laboratory data and details of the therapy, including the administration of corticosteroids, azithromycin, hydroxychloroquine, tocilizumab and anticoagulation. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included intensive care unit (ICU) admission and invasive mechanical ventilation. Outcomes were compared in patients who did and did not receive corticosteroids using the multivariate Cox regression model. RESULTS: 4313 patients were hospitalised with COVID-19 during the study period, of whom 1270 died (29.4%). When administered within the first 7 days after admission, corticosteroids were associated with reduced mortality (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.97, p=0.03) and decreased transfers to the ICU (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.47 to 1.11, p=0.02). This mortality benefit was particularly impressive in younger patients (<65 years of age), females and those with elevated inflammatory markers, defined as C reactive protein ≥150 mg/L (p≤0.05), interleukin-6 ≥20 pg/mL (p≤0.05) or D-dimer ≥2.0 µg/L (p≤0.05). Therapy was safe with similar rates of bacteraemia and fungaemia in corticosteroid-treated and non-corticosteroid-treated patients. CONCLUSION: In patients hospitalised with COVID-19 pneumonia, corticosteroid use within the first 7 days of admission decreased mortality and ICU admissions with no associated increase in bacteraemia or fungaemia.

The relationship between asthma, eosinophilia, and outcomes in coronavirus disease 2019 infection.

BACKGROUND: The impact of asthma diagnosis and asthma endotype on outcomes from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To describe the association between asthma diagnosis and endotype and clinical outcomes among patients diagnosed as having COVID-19 infection. METHODS: Retrospective multicenter cohort study of outpatients and inpatients presenting to 6 hospitals in the Mount Sinai Health System New York metropolitan region between March 7, 2020, and June 7, 2020, with COVID-19 infection, with and without a history of asthma. The primary outcome evaluated was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, and hospital length of stay. The outcomes were compared in patients with or without asthma using a multivariate Cox regression model. The outcomes stratified by blood eosinophilia count were also evaluated. RESULTS: Of 10,523 patients diagnosed as having COVID-19 infection, 4902 were hospitalized and 468 had a diagnosis of asthma (4.4%). When adjusted for COVID-19 disease severity, comorbidities, and concurrent therapies, patients with asthma had a lower mortality (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.64 (0.53-0.77); P < .001) and a lower rate of hospitalization and intensive care unit admission (OR, 0.43 (0.28-0.64); P < .001 and OR, 0.51 (0.41-0.64); P < .001, respectively). Those with blood eosinophils greater than or equal to 200 cells/µL, both with and without asthma, had lower mortality. CONCLUSION: Patients with asthma may be at a reduced risk of poor outcomes from COVID-19 infection. Eosinophilia, both in those with and without asthma, may be associated with reduced mortality risk.

Controversy over smoking in COVID-19-A real world experience in New York city.

Data are conflicting regarding the impact of tobacco smoking in people with pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19). We performed a retrospective multicentre cohort study of 9991 consecutive patients hospitalized in a major New York academic center between March 7th and June 5th, 2020 with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. The clinical outcomes assessed included risk of hospitalization, in-hospital mortality, risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and need for mechanical ventilation among smokers (current and former). Multivariable logistic regression and propensity score models were built to adjust for potential confounders. Among 9991 consecutive patients diagnosed with COVID-19, 2212 (22.1%) patients were self-reported smokers (406 current and 1806 former). Current smoking was not associated with an increased risk of hospitalization (propensity score [PS]-adjusted OR 0.91; p = .46), in-hospital mortality (PS-OR 0.77; p = .12), ICU admission (PS-OR 1.18; p = .37), or intubation (PS-OR 1.04; p = .85). Similarly, former smoking was not associated with an increased risk of hospitalization (PS-OR 0.88; p = .11), in-hospital mortality (PS-OR 1.03; p = .78), ICU admission (PS-OR 1.03; p = .95), or intubation (PS-OR 0.93; p = .57). Furthermore, smoking (current or former) was not associated with an increased risk of hospitalization (PS-OR 0.85; p = .05), in-hospital mortality (PS-OR 0.94; p = .49), ICU admission (PS-OR 0.86; p = .17), or intubation (PS-OR 0.79; p = .06). Smoking is a well-known risk factor associated with greater susceptibility and subsequent increased severity of respiratory infections. In the current COVID-19 pandemic, smokers may have increased risk and severe pneumonia. In the current COVID-19 pandemic, smokers are believed to have an increased risk of mortality as well as severe pneumonia. However, in our analysis of real-world clinical data, smoking was not associated with increased in-patient mortality in COVID-19 pneumonia, in accordance with prior reports.