16-months post-discharge outcome in a cohort of confirmed COVID-19 subjects

ABSTRACT

Background: Little is known about the long-term re-hospitalization of patients with confirmed infection by SARS CoV 2 discharged from hospital. Aim: The aim of our retrospective cohort study was to identify death and re-hospitalization outcomes in a 16-month follow-up in a population of subjects already hospitalized for Covid-19. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the metropolitan area of Bari (population 472,385 inhabitants) by examining the patients hospitalized from 17/03/2020 to 28/05/2021 at the Covid Unit of the F. Miulli hospital in Acquaviva delle Fonti. Results: 1238 patients (754 males, 60.9%, median 70 years) were hospitalized in Covid Unit 1060 (85.6%) (M 60.1% median 71 years) were hospitalized in non-intensive wards, while 178 (14.4%) (M 65.7%, median 69 aa), passed through the IT. At follow-up, 922 subjects were still alive;66 deceased (7.2% of the total, 37.8% males, median 80 years). Analyzing only the data of patients residing in the metropolitan area, where the hospital is the reference, 780 patients discharged alive were examined. Of these, 11.2% were rehospitalized at least once, 30 died (4.3%). Mortality on re-admission to hospital was 17.2%. A third of the re-admissions were unrelated to Covid. Infections, pneumonia and cardiovascular disease were the most represented reason for hospitalization. Conclusions: Data show that at a follow-up of 16 months 92.8% of the subjects were still alive, while 7.2% had died, mainly elderly women. 11.2% of those discharged from the Covid ward have been re-admitted to the hospital at least once.