COVID-19: a cross-sectional study of suspected cases admitted to a federal hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and factors associated with hospital death

Objective  To describe the clinical and epidemiological profile of suspected COVID-19 cases admitted to a federal hospital in Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, and to identify factors associated with death.

Methods  This was a cross-sectional study using local epidemiological surveillance data as at epidemiological week 27 of 2020 and logistic regression.

Results  376 hospitalized suspected COVID-19 cases were included; 52.9% were female, 57.4% were 50 years old or over and 80.1% had comorbidities. 195 (51.9%) COVID-19 cases were confirmed and their lethality was higher (37.9%) than among discarded cases (24.2%). In the adjusted analysis, death among confirmed cases was associated with being in the 50-69 age group (OR=11.65 – 95%CI 1.69;80.33), being aged 70 or over (OR=8.43 – 95%CI 1.22;58.14), presence of neoplasms (OR=4.34 – 95%CI 1.28;14.76) and use of invasive ventilatory support (OR=70.20 - 95%CI 19.09;258.19).

Conclusion  High prevalence of comorbidities and lethality was found; the main factors associated with death were being older, neoplasms and invasive ventilatory support.

Coronavirus Infections; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome; Hospital Mortality; Epidemiology; Pandemics; Cross-Sectional Studies