COVID-19: New inpatient file with elderly people with more comorbidities

Change in hospital patient profile with COVID-19 This year is the most prominent epidemiological bulletin prepared by the medical intelligence nucleus of HCor (the former Hospital de Curaçao), which was obtained exclusively by stadium.

The analysis compared a total of 2,277 hospitalized patients between 2020 and 2021 with 423 hospitalized patients in 2022. The result indicates an increase in life expectancy and the proportion of comorbidities presented by patients.

From the start of the pandemic until last year, the average age of patients in hospital was 61.7. In 2022, a contract (71 years) was added. At the same time, the vast majority (91.9%) of hospitalized patients have three or more comorbidities. Until last year, that rate was 64.4%.

“We can conclude that the vaccine did the role of reducing severe cases of covid-19 because people with fewer comorbidities practically disappeared from the hospital,” says epidemiologist Susana Alves da Silva, coordinator of HCor’s Center for Medical Intelligence.

Despite the higher risks for most hospitalized patients in 2022, the need for intensive care units decreased from 37.1% to 29.1%, while the need for mechanical ventilation decreased from 8.3% to 5.2%.

“This trend shows that vaccines still have a good protective effect against COVID-19, even in the micron wave,” says Esper Callas, a professor at the University of São Paulo School of Medicine (USP). “Recent studies show that vaccines also reduce the consequences of infection with the current type.”

no vaccine

Of those hospitalized this year, 31.8% did not receive a single dose of the vaccine. The case fatality rate was 5.5% among the vaccinated and 9.9% among the unvaccinated. “My personal perception is that a large portion of the population still has a great deal of mistrust regarding adverse events,” the doctor says.

People should understand that mortality and hospitalization rates decreased after vaccination. This is great news. Susanna stresses that the benefit of immunization far outweighs any risk.

Also, according to the doctor, it is essential that patients and their families understand the importance of vaccination. An example of the protection conferred by doses is that hospital deaths are virtually non-existent among patients over 40 years of age who have one or two illnesses.

Currently, institutional deaths occur in patients with multiple diseases and over 80 years of age. In 2022, we saw a significant increase in deaths of people who were in palliative care. Until last year, this group accounted for 12% of deaths. Now it is 19% ”, confirms the doctor.

emergency room

In the past two weeks, coronavirus and other respiratory illnesses have increased the demand for urgent and emergency services in the capital and in the interior of São Paulo. In HCor it was no different. The Covid-19 positivity rate for people tested in hospital rose from 32% in April to 62% in June. Of the patients seen in the influenza emergency room in April, 7% required hospitalization. In June, the index rose to 9%.

Although omicron appears to cause less serious illness in people, its transmissibility is high. And the doctor advises in this way not to neglect the preventive measures: washing hands and using the mask in closed environments and also in open places, in case of agglomeration.