Risk factors associated with mortality in COVID-19: Survival Analysis in Argentina, 2020

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to identify risk factors associated with COVID-19-related deaths, and to estimate the variability of the strength of association according to age groups, in Argentina, in 2020. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Variables were described by their frequency. A survival analysis and Cox-proportional hazards model (HR) was conducted, within 30 days after the onset of symptoms, to identify association with age<60, gender, absence of comorbidities, asthma, hypertension, diabetes, previous cancer, COPD, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, obesity, and tuberculosis, adjusted by age group. RESULTS: The leading comorbidity found among COVID-19 deaths was hypertension. The lowest HR was observed in age<60 (0.086 CI95% 0.083-0.090) followed by absence of comorbidities (0.287 CI95% 0.271-0.303). Chronic kidney disease presented the highest HR (2.05 IC95%1.94-2.16), followed by heart failure (1.66 IC95%1.59- 1.73), previous cancer (1.65 IC95%1.57-1.74) and obesity (1.53 IC95%1.46-1.6). The highest HR was found for chronic kidney disease and previous cancer among <60 years patients, and obesity and male in >80 years. DISCUSSION: The association between mortality and comorbidities decreased as age increased. Asthma, and hypertension in >60 years were not risk factors in the present investigation, further study is required